Influence of gender difference on reading habit and academic achievement of undergraduate medical students in University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which gender difference determine the reading habit and academic achievement of undergraduate medical students of University of Ibadan. Questionnaire was used to collect data from four hundred and twenty-nine medical students randomly selected from the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Findings from the study revealed gender difference in the academic achievement of medical students in favour of male students. On the other hand, there was no gender difference in the reading habit of medical students. Findings on relationships between gender and academic achievement established a positive relationship just as a positive relationship was established between reading habit of medical students and their academic achievement. The study recommended the need for school authorities to work towards ensuring that the gender gap in the academic achievement of medical students is bridged while library and information resources should be provided to encourage development of favorable reading culture among the medical students.