Gender Inequalities in Primary School Achievement in Ghana: Do School Regions Matter?

Abstract

The study examined how learners’ gender affected their performance in a national standardized test in Ghana. Achievement data collected through a census method from 318,254 primary grade 4 learners in 9,619 public schools were used for the study. The instrument for data collection was a standardized test. The data were analyzed using a multilevel modeling technique. The study found significant gender-based differences in mathematics and English achievement, with girls generally performing better. Girls outperformed boys in both subjects in six regions and excelled in English in six others, and boys outperformed girls in mathematics in one region. The study’s findings confirm gender-based inequalities in learning outcomes in public primary schools, challenging Ghana’s efforts to achieve the set targets of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4. Therefore, it is imperative for the government, in collaboration with other stakeholders, to implement pragmatic nationwide policies to eliminate the significant gender inequalities in schools. At the same time, teachers must implement gender-re sponsive pedagogies to foster equitable and inclusive learning for all learners.