GENDER DISPARITY IN BIG FIVE FACTORS OF PERSONALITY AND THEIR EFFECT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS

Background: Although personality and intelligence both affect the academic achievement, research findings prove that personality has a profound effect on academic achievement of secondary school students. The objectives of the study were; to compare the Big Five Factors (BFF) of personality of male and female students; and to explore the effect of Big Five Factors of personality on academic achievement of students at secondary level. Methods: Cross sectional analytical design was used to conduct study at secondary level in Hazara Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, from October, 2013 to March, 2014. A sample of 1438 of Grade 10 students from Hazara Division was selected by using stratified random sampling technique. Information about Personality was collected by adopting 41 items Big Five Factors Personality Inventory. Whereas academic achievement scores of the students were collected from their 9th class annual result of examination. Results: Results indicated that male students had higher extraversion (p<0.01), conscientiousness (p<0.01), and Agreeableness (p<0.01) while female students had significantly higher academic achievement (p<0.01) scores. Further, Extraversion (β= -17.14, p=0.00) Neuroticism (β= -10.76, p=0.02), and Agreeableness (β= -10.75, 0.01) were significant negative predictors of academic achievement whereas Conscientiousness (β= 11.59, p=0.02) was significant positive predictor of academic achievement of students at secondary level. Conclusion: This study proves male students as social, outgoing, organized, and having a sense of dutifulness, cooperativeness, and straightforwardness. Further, Extraversion Agreeableness, and Neuroticism negatively predicts academic achievement of students. Conscientiousness positively predicts academic achievement. Pak J Physiol 2018;14(4):51–4