Learning STEM in African Secondary Schools: Bridging Gender Inequality Gap and Location on Difficulties Concept

Abstract

The new senior secondary computer studies curriculum for multilingual West African schools was introduced in 2015. Since its implementation, there have been limited studies on students' perceptions of its difficulty, gender equity, and geographical differences. This study aimed to investigate two primary objectives: (a) identifying topics within the curriculum perceived as challenging by secondary school students, and (b) examining how gender and school location influence these perceptions. The study included 1,501 computer studies students from nine public and 12 private senior secondary schools in Nigeria and Ghana, with approximately 51% female respondents. Three-quarters of the schools were located in urban areas, while the remainder were in rural settings. The top ten topics perceived as most difficult, in descending order, were: Flowcharting, Algorithms, Problem-solving skills, Program development cycle, Machine language, Computer Ethics and human issues, Logic circuits, Computer fundamentals and evolution, and Networking. The findings revealed slight gender differences and significant rural-urban disparities in perception. Recommendations were proposed to enhance the teaching and learning of computer studies in African schools, addressing these findings.