Exploring the Status of Life and Earth Sciences to Other School Subjects in Middle School: Effect of Gender and Grades Obtained

Abstract

This study examines the status that students attribute to the school subject of Life and Earth Sciences (LES) in terms of importance and preference compared to other school subjects. The study questionnaire was administered to a sample of 970 students (15±1,04 years) in the third year of middle school in the Provincial Directorate of the Ministry of Education in Taza (Morocco). The data collected are analyzed quantitatively. The results show that the LES school subject occupies an intermediate position in terms of importance and a late place in terms of preference compared to other school subjects. Furthermore, the gender difference in the importance of this school subject is not significant, whereas in terms of preference, the difference is significant in favor of females (p?0,05, negligible effect size). According to the grades obtained in LES, the differences are significant in terms of importance (p?0,05, small effect size) and preference (p?0,001, medium effect size) favoring the students with the highest grades in this school subject. To improve the status of LES, the study suggests showing students the importance of this school subject in their daily lives and their academic and career paths, reinforcing experiences that bring them more emotional gain, and adopting innovative and engaging approaches that facilitate their learning.

Received: 1 October 2023 / Accepted: 29 February 2024 / Published: 5 March 2024