Gender Difference and Academic Achievement in Music Among Form Four Students in Kenya 1991-1995

The purpose of this study was to compare academic achievement in the three variables of Music Practical Music Theory and Average Music Mark between boys and girls at the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) level between 1991 and 1995 in order to establish whether or not there is any gender difference. To achieve this, the means of boys and girls in the three variables were compared. Differences in achievement in Music Practical, Music Theory and Average Music Mark between boys and girls were determined using t-tests. A total of 11,626 learners (4,831 boys and 6,795 girls) of about 18 years of age participated in the study. KCSE Music marks (1991-1995) that formed the instrument of the study were taken from the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC). It was established that girls had statistically significantly higher means compared to boys in the Music Practical and Average Music Mark. No statistically significant difference was found between the means of girls and boys in Music Theory. Girls had significantly higher means in urban and urban single-sex schools. Findings from other