Impact Of Affirmative Action On Grade 10 Female Students Academic Achievement And Attitude Toward Physics: The Case Of Two Secondary Schools In Sinana Woreda, Oromia Regional State Of Ethiopia

Abstract

This study is designed to assess impact of affirmative action on students’ academic achievement and attitude toward physics education of secondary school female students. The researcher employed both quantitative and qualitative research where the study populations represented 197 sample students selected systematically, 93 students were female and 104 were male, from total population of 400 students in Obora and Hisu secondary schools. Data collections carried out by means of document analysis to test academic achievement based on EGSECE of physics education and to test attitude toward physics by means of questioners carefully designed that correlated with physics issues. The data obtained were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively using mean, frequency distributions and percentages, histograms and pie charts. Likert scale used to measure attitudes toward physics. Quantitative descriptions were done using SPSS version 20 software for descriptive of statistical significance level. Obora female students under affirmative action scored a mean value of grades of EGSECE in physics education was 2.04 and their male scored 2.02.But Hisu female and male scored 1.83 and 2.29 respectively Moreover, 74.19% female and 61.54% male students totally 67.5% of both schools students develop negative attitude toward physics education because of the low achievement. Attitude significantly influences achievements of the students with statistical value of 0.007 and there is significance difference between female and male in their achievement with statistical value of 0.016. From the finding of the research, it can be conclude that Obora female students performed equally to their male and more performed than Hisu female students. There is gender difference in academic achievement with the counterparts of Hisu male students Attitude has negative impact on students’ academic achievement, and the affirmative action has positive impacts on academic achievements of the female students.