Rationales for Single-Sex Schooling: Administrator, Teacher, Parent, and Student Perspectives

• In Event: The State of Single-Sex Schooling: Theoretical, Empirical, Methodological, and Legal Issues

Abstract

Single-sex education has become increasingly prevalent in the U.S., and indicators suggest this trend will continue. Despite this increase in popularity, we know almost nothing about laypersons and stakeholders’ beliefs regarding the reasons for single-sex schooling. Understanding such perspectives is important for two reasons. First, individuals’ views of the need for single-sex schools influence their definitions of school success and thus the design of efficacy studies. For example, an individual who views single-sex schooling as necessary to eradicate classroom gender bias is likely to select different efficacy outcomes than one who views single-sex schooling as necessary to support boys’ and girls’ innately different learning styles. Second, the characteristics (e.g., beliefs, values) of administrators, teachers, parents, and students who choose to become involved with single-sex schools are likely to influence the outcomes associated with such schools. Identifying relevant stakeholder characteristics will allow researchers to disentangle effects due to gender composition from other factors and, as a result, better evaluate the outcomes of single-sex schooling.

To better understand stakeholders’ perspectives on single-sex schools, we surveyed principals (n=67) of coeducational schools that have opted (or not) to institute single-sex classes. We also surveyed teachers (n=121), parents (n=316) and students (n=589) who opted (or not) to be involved with an all-girls school opening in their school district. Participants rated their endorsement of seven rationales for single-sex schooling: gender differences in (1) brain structure and function, (2) interests, and (3) academic abilities; (4) distractions from boys; (5) ingroup preference; (6) gender discrimination; and (7) parental preference. We also asked participants about their perceptions of the fairness of different forms of educational segregation (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, ability).
Results indicated wide variations in individuals’ beliefs about the rationales for single-sex schooling. Consistent with widespread focus on biological gender differences in popular media, the rationales related to sex differences in children’s brains and interests were endorsed more strongly than other rationales for single-sex schooling. Gender discrimination was among the least commonly endorsed. Laypersons affiliated with single-sex schools were more supportive of single-sex schooling and more likely than coeducational-affiliated individuals to endorse each of the rationales for single-sex schools.

Perhaps as a function of their experiences in schools, principals focused on the importance of using single-sex education to improve achievement test scores. Teachers were less likely than parents or students to agree that boys’ disruptive behavior in coeducational classrooms necessitated single-sex education. Students were more likely than parents and teachers to believe that girls’ (supposed) academic superiority necessitated single-sex education.

Overall participants viewed gender-based exclusion as more acceptable than race- or achievement-based exclusion. Single-sex-affiliated participants were more likely than those affiliated with coeducational schools to view gender-segregated schooling—but not other forms of segregated schooling—as fair.

Taken together, these results suggest that individuals affiliated with single-sex schools differ in substantial, systematic ways from those affiliated with coeducational schools. These findings have important implications for the interpretation of extant studies and the design of future research on single-sex schooling.

Authors

• Erin Pahlke

• Meagan M. Patterson, The University of Kansas

• Katherine Galligan, Arizona State University