Running Head: DRAFT BENEFITS AND ISSUES OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING

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Benefits and Issues of Single-Sex Schooling Kelli E. Shannon Ohio University

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DRAFT BENEFITS AND ISSUES OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING Abstract Single-sex schooling was examined for benefits and issues. There are many skeptics of single-sex classrooms over the past few decades. However, students and teachers were observed and self-assessed through surveys to better understand how beneficial or detrimental the schools and classrooms were to the students learning. Single-sex classrooms are shown to be beneficial to girls, boys, and minority groups in academics and creating higher interests in unlikely subjects. Behavior and self-perception in all students was also shown to improve through single-

Comment [D1]: By whom? When you identify that, state that THIS PERSON/PEOPLE examined single-sex schooling for benefits and issues. It removes the passive issue.

Comment [D2]: The study shows that singlesex classrooms are. This removes the passive sentence. Or consider, Single-sex classrooms benefit girls, boys, and minority groups Comment [D3]: Consider, improved, it removes the passive sentence.

sex classrooms. Boys only classrooms were the only ones to show negative effects. Most teachers reported positive feelings about teaching to specific genders to maximize their learning. However, some teachers without the proper training were not as prepared for gender-only classes and therefore did not prefer them. Sexism was shown to be a factor in single-sex classrooms, as well as coeducational classrooms.
Comment [D4]: Consider, Sexism was a factor, it removes the passive sentence.

DRAFT BENEFITS AND ISSUES OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING Benefits and Issues of Single-Sex Schooling The majority of the classrooms in todays education system are coeducational classrooms. Most single-sex classrooms changed to coeducational in the late 1800s

(Anfara & Mertens, 2008, p. 52). There was little research done on single-sex classrooms from then until the 1990s. Then there was a large surge in interest between 1990s and 2003 (Anfara & Mertens, 2008, p. 52). In this time, research was done through observation and surveys on classrooms that had separated sexes for instruction. These classrooms were mainly confined to private and denominational (mostly Catholic) schools (Anfara & Mertens, 2008, p. 52). There were a few reasons for sparking singlesex classrooms back into the education system. One deals with boysboys achievement. Greig states, School boards internationally have embraced single-sex settings as a method to address the educational needs of boys (2011, p. 127). Greig also mentions single-sex classrooms are fueled by concerns over boys underachievement compared to girls (2011, p. 127). Methods As previously stated, much of the research was done through observations and surveys in single-sex classrooms and schools. Many times, observations were done to notice changes in behavior and participation compared to students in coeducational classrooms. Teachers were also given surveys to complete to state their opinions on their students behavior and what other changes they see in their students that teachers in coeducational classrooms may not be seeing. Lastly, students were given surveys to selfassess themselves in the single-sex classroom. They were asked to self-assess their behavior, their participation, their school workschoolwork, and their achievement during
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DRAFT BENEFITS AND ISSUES OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING

the school year, focus, and interest in trying new ways to learn (Piechura-Couture, Heins, & Tichenor, 2011, p. 256-261). Results The literature found breaks the results of single-sex classrooms and schools into many different sections. Some are more positive than othersothers are and some include both positive and negative aspects of the style of classroom. Skepticism, effects for girls, effects for boys, effects for minorities, observed benefits, and sexism are all categories found in the literature. Skepticism There was skepticism when single-sex classrooms began reappearing in the schools. Females were skeptical because they had fought for equal schooling. They thought single-sex classrooms would be a step back from their Womens Rights Movements and would reinforce gender stereotypes and prejudices (Meyers, 2008, p. 17). However, Meyer wrote, There was ample evidence to justify feminists skepticism about single-gender education (2008, p. 17). Many people believed that instead of single-sex classrooms for the underachievement of boys, they could hire more male teachers (Greig, 2011, p. 127). They thought that this would help boys behave and academically perform better in their coeducational classrooms. Yet, many other schools continued to implement single-sex classrooms. Unfortunately, many classrooms and schools were driven out or shut down by principals and teachers and parents (Meyer, 2008, p. 19). Many people were not supportive. However, there was more support later that year when all of the justices on the Supreme Court agreed on the educational benefits of single-sex classrooms (Meyer, 2008, p. 19). Single-sex classrooms effect girls, boys,
Comment [D9]: Consider, effects for girls, boys, and minorities,

DRAFT BENEFITS AND ISSUES OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING and minorities differently. Furthermore, single-sex classrooms are also accused of involving sexism in different schools. Effects for Girls The effects for girls have been mainly positive in academics, school connection,

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and behavior and self-perception. Girls in single-sex classrooms had higher achievement motive than girls in coeducational schools (Cherney & Campbell, 2011, p. 718). Researchers found that not only did they have higher achievement motive, but they also perceived classes in different ways whichways, which affected their interests. Girls in single-sex schools perceive math and science classes as less masculine (Anfara & Mertens, 2008, p. 55). Therefore, they prefer math and science more thanto their counterparts at coeducational schools (Anfara & Mertens, 2008, p. 55). Girls have different school connections to the single-sex schools based on a couple different aspects of their days. One has to do with the number of male friends and one has to do with stereotypes. Through surveys, researchers found, The percentage of male friendsfriends students reported having was negatively related to school connection at the all-girls school (Patterson & Pahlke, 2011, p. 744). Although they can have male friends outside of school, it does impactaffect their connections. Also, girls who were lower in stereotype endorsement reported higher school connection than girls who were higher in stereotype endorsement (Patterson & Pahlke, 2011, p. 744). Their level of school connection is important because it was found in thisa study that it directly correlates with the girls GPAs. Lastly, single-sex classrooms have been shown to positively affect girls behaviors and self-perceptions. These classes have been a safe place for girls learning
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DRAFT BENEFITS AND ISSUES OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING

(Anfara & Mertens, 2008, p. 55). This safe place improves girls self-esteem, confidence, and leadership skills (Anfara & Mertens, 2008, p. 53). They also were seen to have higher intrinsic motivation (Cherney & Campbell, 2011, p. 718). The elimination of boys in the classroom provides this safe environment for girls. One teacher commented that single-sex classrooms were best for girls because they did not need to worry about being too smart or worry about being too dumb (Herr & Arms, 2004, p. 547). Effects for Boys Effects for boys are different from the effects for girls, as they are not all positive. Positively, boys behavior was better controlled in single-sex classrooms (Anfara & Mertens, 2008, p. 53). AlsoIn addition, boys benefit from improved self-esteem and tend to ask more questions in class (Anfara & Mertens, 2008, p. 55). Unfortunately, there is not as much research on the positive effects of male-only classrooms. There are also negative effects, though. Due to the predominance of female teachers, even in the boys only schools, boys have been recorded to be negatively affected and lowered overall sense of well-being (Anfara & Mertens, 2008, p. 55). Other negative effects were seen in one school where there was little guidance to help teachers with single-sex classrooms. However, they noted that boys, in the absence of girls couldnt control themselves (Herr & Arms, 2004, p. 544). The teacher interviewed used the example of placing a girl in between two boys in elementary school as an issue of the lack of girls in the classroom (Herr & Arms, 2004, p. 545). Therefore, with the problems the boys were having in this classroom, teachers were seen to take a more authoritarian approach than the way they taught the girls in the girls only classroom (Herr & Arms,
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DRAFT BENEFITS AND ISSUES OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING 2004, p. 544). However, all boys only classrooms did not have these extreme of experiences. Effects for Minorities Minorities, like girls, had positive effects from single-sex classrooms. Meyer reports, Minority students in single-sex schools often show dramatic improvements in attitudes toward school, greater interest among girls in math and science, and

dramatically fewer behavior problems (Meyer, 2008, p. 20). Minority students in singlesex classrooms have reported higher percentages than their white male counterparts have. Minority students believe their behavior and completing school workschoolwork is 63% higher being in a single-sex classroom, while white students reported only 50% (Piechura-Couture, Heins, & Tichenor, 2011, p. 258). They self reportself-report their participation in class to be 75% while their white counterparts report only 64% (PiechuraCouture et. al., 2011, p. 258). Minority males also have significantly higher percentages in ability to succeed in school, grades, focus, and interest in trying new ways to learn (Piechura-Couture et. al., 2011, p. 260). Therefore, minority students are considerably benefited in single-sex classrooms. Observed Benefits There were many observed benefits for all students in single-sex schools. For both genders, math performance was significantly higher than in coeducational schools (Cherney & Campbell, 2011, p. 719). AlsoIn addition, in one survey administered, one factor that was significant in single-sex schools was increased science confidence (Brown & Ronau, 2012, p. 74). Spielhagen reported many percentages of the benefits of singlesex schooling assessed by surveys given to teachers at the fall and spring of the same
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DRAFT BENEFITS AND ISSUES OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING school year (2011). Spielhagen first reported that 95% of teachers agreed that students were more focused and on task (2011, p. 8). 93% of teachers also agreed that they found

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greater participation from both genders in their gender-only classes (Spielhagen, 2011, p. 8). Spielhagen stated teachers agreed that they could address the specific needs of genders, as well (2011, p. 8). 94% of teachers replied that single-sex schools and classrooms should continue to be an option for students in the future (Spielhagen, 2011, p. 8). Sexism Sexism is found in all schools, single-sex and coeducational, in the education system. In the girls school, there was sexism seen in 45% of the 29 classrooms observed (Lee, Marks, & Byrd, 1994, p. 103). Lee, Marks, and Byrd also report that most of the incidents were initiated by the teachers (1994, p. 103). Sexism was also categorized by subject area classesSubject area classes also categorized sexism. The girls school showed sexism mainly in the Chemistry and History classes (Lee et. al., 1994, p. 104). In the boys school, 37% of the 29 classrooms showed incidents of sexism (Lee et. al., 1994, p. 103). The English and History classrooms showed the most incidents (Lee et. al., 1994, p. 104). AlsoIn addition, in the boys school calculus room, there was a poster of a woman in a bikini with her arms raised as decoration showing sexism in that classroom (Lee et. al., 1994, p. 105). There were also instances of explicit sexuality found in the boys school directed at women in the school, mainly by male teachers (Lee et. al., 1994, p. 104). In the single-sex schools, there were more gender reinforcement, embedded discrimination, and sex-role stereotyping than in coeducational schools. However, there
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DRAFT BENEFITS AND ISSUES OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING was little or no gender domination and active discrimination when the opposite sex was not present in the single-sex schools. Conclusion There were a few problems thatA few problems arose in the research gathered. First of allFirst, some schools had more support than othersothers did. For example, in

one article, only 41% of the researchers favored single-sex classrooms after reviewing the information and 45% found negative effects (Anfara & Mertens, 2008, p. 56). Secondly, the school with the problem boys was reported to have no guidance (Herr & Arms, 2004, p. 544). One interviewer quoted his principal saying, We took the distractions out of the classroom and thats the bottom line (Herr & Arms, 2004, p. 544). Without proper training to teach both sexes separately and make it beneficial to the students, teachers will have a harder time controlling their students. That may have been why they acted out and were so troubling to those school educators, not because the girls were taken out of the class. Single-sex classrooms are still relatively new in our education system. However, research shows they are beneficial in many ways, especially for girls and minorities. If we continue to research and help these classrooms grow, the benefits can increase as well. Although, training needs to be done for teachers preparing to teach one gender classrooms. If teachers are taught how to teach to the specific needs of the one gender in the classroom, they will maximize the benefits for students learning.
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References Anfara, V. A., Jr., & Mertens, S. B. (2008). Do single-sex classes and schools make a difference? Middle School Journal, 40(2), 52-59. Brown, S. L., Ronau, R. R. (2012). Students perceptions of single-gender science and mathematics classroom experiences. School Science and Mathematics, 112(2), 66-87. Cherney, I., & Campbell, K. (2011). A leage of their own: Do single-sex schools increase girls participation in the physical sciences? Sex Roles, 65(9), 712-724. Greig, C. J. (2011). Boy-only classrooms: Gender reform in Windsor, Ontario 19661972. Educational Review, 63(2), 127-141. Herr, K., & Arms, E. (2004). Accountability and single-sex schooling: A collision of reform agendas. American Educational Research Journal, 41(3), 527-555. Lee, V. E., Marks, H. M., & Byrd, T. (1994). Sexism in single-sex and coeducational independent secondary school classrooms. Sociology of Education, 67(2), 92-120. Meyer, P. (2008). Learning separately: The case for single-sex schools. Education Next, 8(1), 10-21. Patterson, M. M., & Pahlke, E. (2011). Student characteristics associated with girls success in a single-sex school. Sex Roles, 65(10), 737-750.

DRAFT BENEFITS AND ISSUES OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLING Piechura-Couture, K., Heins, E., & Tichenor, M. (2011). The boy factor: Can singlegender classes reduce the over-representation of boys in special education? Journal of Instructional Psychology, 38(4), 255-263.

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Spielhagen, F. R. (2011). It all depends: Middle school teachers evaluate single-sex classes. Research in Middle Level Education, 34(7), 1-12.

Overall, it was a very good paper. It was very to the point and black and white, I like that. There were only a few issues with wording, for which I suggested replacements. The only other issue were the passive voice sentences/phrases. Using an active verb makes the sentence more lively, but in order to fix these you need to figure out what the subject of the sentence is doing, and identify it. I provided a few examples early on. Other than that, its very good. You should do well! I hope this helps!