Differences in Student Behavior based on Gender, Sector, and Class Size

Abstract

Student behavior is one of the essential but complex phenomena to comprehend by even highly skilled and experienced educators. Understanding and managing student behavior effectively is rewarding as it positively affects student learning outcomes, student retention, personality building, student engagement, and student satisfaction (Akey, 2006; Luckner & Pianta, 2011; Shah, 2019). This study examined the differences in student behavior based on gender, sector, and class size in primary schools in Lahore, Pakistan. The study was quantitative, where data was collected using a stratified random sampling technique from 600 students (369 male and 231 female) from 14 primary schools (7 public and 7 private) located in Lahore. The participants filled out the self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire designed by Goodman (1997). Statistical analyses included descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) statistics and inferential (independent-sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, Tukey HSD). Results indicated significant differences in student behavior between male and female students in primary schools. Significant differences were also observed between public sector students and private sector students. However, students studying in different class sizes (i.e., small, medium, and large) showed no statistically significant differences in their behavior.