Effect of Gender on Students' Interest in Standard Mixture Separation Techniques using Ethnochemistry Teaching Approach

In this study, the effect of gender on students' interest in standard mixture separation techniques using ethnochemistry teaching approach was investigated. A sample of 198 students from six purposively selected secondary schools out of a population of 3,706 Senior Secondary I students from Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria was used for the study. The study adopted non-equivalent quasi-experimental research design. The instrument used for data collection was Separation Techniques Interest Inventory (STII) with the reliability value of 0.84 using Kuder-Richardson (KR-21). Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The research questions were answered using Mean and Standard Deviation scores while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using Analysis of Covariance.The study revealed that there is no significant difference in the mean interest scores between male and female students taught standard mixture separation techniques using ethnochemistry approach; [F(1,97) = 6.300, P>0.050]. It also found no significant interaction effect between methods and gender on the mean interest scores of students in standard mixture separation techniques; [F(1,197) =0.318, P>0.050]. It was recommended that both male and female students should be involved in ethnochemistry and chemistry curriculum should be restructured to reflect Nigerian culture (indigenous chemistry practices) to enhance both male and female students' interest