Examining English Proficiency Variations between  Male and Female Students in Thailand

Matthew Rudd

Matthew Rudd Mahanakorn University of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand

##semicolon## Gender, Perception, Motivation, Variability, Proficiency

##article.abstract##

The central objective of this study was to investigate the influence of gender on English language proficiency scores among Thai students in Bangkok. To bring this research ambition to fruition, a mixed methods research design was utilised to collate qualitative and quantitative data. The former was gathered from interviews with 20 well-established educatorsto canvass their perceptions regardingthe potential role of gender in studentsâ€™English language proficiency levels. The quantitative data involved t-test analyses (0.05) of studentsâ€™ formal English examination results from three separate sample clusters (N = 863), which included: (1) senior high school students (n = 72); (2) third year private university students (n = 684); and, (3) first year students at a government university (n = 107). The findings disclosed that (1) English teachers distinguished girls as ostensibly more attentive and more highly motivated; (2) female studentsâ€™ English proficiency scores were significantly higher than their male counterparts across both university clusters, and, marginally higher at the high school level; and therefore,(3) the studentsâ€™ formal examination results added firm support the educatorsâ€™ perception that female students demonstrate greater proficiency in English due to exhibiting higher degrees of motivation and focus

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