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Pros and Cons of Gender Based vs. Traditional Classrooms

Pros and Cons of Gender Based vs. Traditional Classrooms. Trevor Lewis CI 551 Spring 2012. Stem Questions. What exactly is a gender? What are the advantages of gender based classes? What are the disadvantages of gender based classes?

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Pros and Cons of Gender Based vs. Traditional Classrooms

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  1. Pros and Cons of Gender Based vs. Traditional Classrooms Trevor Lewis CI 551 Spring 2012

  2. Stem Questions • What exactly is a gender? • What are the advantages of gender based classes? • What are the disadvantages of gender based classes? • Are gender based classes better suited in some content areas over others? • How do students in traditional classes feel about the possibility of being in gender based classes in the future?

  3. What Parents are Saying • Whether or not a school requires gendered classes is an important factor for parents choosing a school. • The notion that traditional classes have advantages for boys while gendered classes have advantages for girls still exists. • Parents are divided by social versus academic achievement, with gender based schools being seen to have academic benefits, and traditional schools having social benefits (Jackson & Bisset, 2005).

  4. Resurgence of Gendered Classes • Federal law gives the option of single-sex education. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings eased federal regulations in 2006, allowing schools to offer single-sex classrooms and schools, as long as such options are completely voluntary (Stanberry 2010). • The number of single-sex public schools in the USA went from two to 49 between 1995 and 2008 and the number of US public schools offering single sex classes went from 12 to 518 between 2002 and 2009 (Jackson 2010).

  5. Sex vs. Gender • “Sex” refers to the anatomy of a person. • Some believe that a person’s “gender” is socially constructed. • Sometimes a person’s gender might not match up with their sex. • Where do transgender, intersex, and gender-bending students fit in with gender based classes? (Jackson, 2005)

  6. Breaking Down Gender Stereotypes • Multiple studies have been done to assess how girls perform in gendered or traditional science classes (traditionally thought to be more boy centered). • One study found that girls in a gendered physics class reported a higher physics self-concept than those from a traditional class. • The boy’s self-concept in the study did not experience much change between the two types of classes (Kessels & Hannover, 2008).

  7. Brain Differences Boys Girls • Boys use half the brain space that females use for verbal-emotive functioning. • It is mainly boys who stop taking notes and fall asleep during a lecture, or tap pencils or fidget as a way of keeping themselves awake and learning. • The hippocampus is larger in girls, increasing girls' learning advantage, especially in the language arts. • Girls tend to multitask better than boys do, with fewer attention span problems and greater ability to make quick transitions between lessons. (Gurian & Stevens 2004)

  8. Eighth Grade Science • Another study on the effects of gendered classes in the science setting revealed different results. • A male science teacher taught an all girl, all boy, and mix gender classes exactly the same way. • The results were that there was no significant difference in academic achievement or class climate (Friend, 2006). • One could hypothesize that different teachers using different methods in these classes might have yielded some different results.

  9. Science and Mathematics • Another study looked at ninth grade students’ academic self-concept, self-efficacy, and school climate. • The study found no significant difference in boys or girls regarding attitudes toward learning mathematics or science when separated by traditional or gender based classes. • The only noted significant difference was with regard to science confidence when all students were combined (Brown & Ronau, 2012).

  10. Physical Education Classes • Another study looked into the involvement of students and teacher interaction in gendered PE classes. • They found that students in an all-girl PE class had much more opportunity to participate in activities. • Students in an all-boy PE class had less opportunity than boys in a traditional class. • The study also showed a higher amount of verbal interaction between the teacher and girls in a gendered PE class (Hannon & Ratliffe 2007)

  11. Starting From Scratch • One study followed the opening of two brand new gendered based schools (one boy and one girl). • The initial interviews with teachers were extremely positive and optimistic about expectations for the year. • Teachers were trained before school started on different ways to utilize gendered classes, but little to no training or support was given as the year progressed. • A month into the year teachers reported feeling that students were more focused and student needs were being met.

  12. Starting from Scratch Cont. • As the year progressed teacher opinions declined. • By Spring, teachers indicated that girls were noisier and moodier in gendered classes. • The teachers felt that boys were more aggressive and immature in all-boy classes, and were less convinced that boys are better behaved in gendered classes. • Teachers changed their overall impression that there were fewer behavior problems in gendered classes.

  13. Starting From Scratch Cont. • By the end of the year the teachers agreed on three major issues. • The need for ongoing professional development . • The need for knowledgeable administrative support for varying teaching styles. • At the end of the year, the teachers still agreed that gendered classes should be a choice for parents and students (Spielhagen, 2011).

  14. Success in the Choral Dept. • A Wisconsin high school has had tremendous success over seven years with gendered choir classes. • There is a high comfort level for both boys and girls in a single-sex classroom. • Enrollment has been strong and growing. • Leadership in both the male-only choir and the female-only choir is easily fostered. • T here is a high comfort level in a gendered classroom. Those who may be embarrassed or intimidated in the presence of the opposite sex can relax and feel comfortable (Jogensen, 2008)

  15. What the Experts are Saying Pros Cons • Increases Opportunities for Leadership • Increases Student Achievement • Increases Attendance Frequency • They help close the achievement gap between the sexes. • Boys and girls learn differently. • Does Not Parallel Real Life • Leads to Instilling Stereotypes • Some boys reported that aggression was a problem in single-sex classes. (Spielhagen, 2011) (Bradley, n.d.) (Duncan & Schmidt, 2009)

  16. What my Students are Saying • I polled my 7th grade students who have spent their entire scholastic careers in traditional classes on how they would feel if they were placed in gender based classes next year (like our 6th grades are now and our 7th graders might be next year. • Of the sixty-four responses here are the results: • 92% said they were against it. • 3% said they would prefer it. • 5% were unsure or didn’t care either way.

  17. Quotes from my 7th Graders Positive Negative • “People would be more focused.” • “Kids can concentrate on work.” • “It might be good because girls wouldn’t really get into fights because we usually fight over boys.” • “We get to meet new people. We can learn to work with new people.” • “We aren’t ever going to have separate boys and girls in the real world.” • “It would make people socially awkward. Kids wouldn’t be able to socialize with the opposite genders well. “

  18. 7th Grade Analysis • The overwhelming response of my students was to keep students in traditional classes. • The most common reasons were in gendered classes there would be more fights between the boys and more drama between the girls. • An alarming number of students also worried that being in a gendered classroom would result in them becoming homosexual.

  19. Conclusion • My research was inconclusive as to whether or not gendered classes were “better” than traditional. • It seems as though both have their pros and cons. • Gendered classes may give small bumps in academic achievement for some content areas. • Traditional classes help prepare students for the real world which is not segregated by genders. • If a school is to go gender based it needs to include continual staff development and support from administration.

  20. EBSCO References • Brown, S.L., & Ronau, R.R. (2012). Students’ perceptions of single-gender science and mathematics classroom experiences. School Science & Mathematics, 112(2), 66-87. • Friend, J. (2006). Research on same-gender grouping in eighth grade science classrooms. RMLE Online: Research in Middle Level Education, 30(4), 1-15. • Hannon, J.C., & Ratliffe, T. (2007). Opportunities to participate and teacher interactions in coed versus single-gender physical education settings. Physical Educator, 64(1), 11-20. • Jackson, C., & Bisset, M. (2005). Gender and school choice: Factors influencing parents when choosing single-sex or co-educational independent schools for their children. Cambridge Journal of Education, 35(2), 195-211.

  21. EBSCO References Cont. • Jackson, J. (2010). ‘Dangerous presumptions’: How single- sex schooling reifies false notions of sex, gender, and sexuality. Gender & Education, 22(2), 227-238. • Jogensen, N. (2008). Successful single-sex offerings in the choral department. Music Educators Journal, 94(5), 36. • Kessels, U., & Hannover, B. (2008). When being a girl matters less: Accessibility of gender related self-knowledge in single-sex and coeducational classes and its impact on students’ physics-related self-concept of ability. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 78(2) 273-289. • Spielhagen, F.R. (2011). “It all depends…”: Middle school teachers evaluate single-sex classes. Research in Middle Level Education Online, 34(7), 1-12.

  22. Website References • Bradley, K. (n.d.). Arguments for & against single-sex schools. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8083079_argument- against-singlesex-schools.html • Cook, J. (2008, Aug 14). Gender-based classrooms may be helping test score, discipline. Dothan Eagle. Retrieved from http://www2.dothaneagle.com/news/2008/aug/14/gender_ based_classrooms_may_be_helping_test_scores-ar-202326/ • Duncan, A., & Schmidt, A. (2009, Sept 09). Single-sex classrooms – a great alternative for many young students. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Explorin g/

  23. Website References Cont. • Ellison, J. (2010, July 22). The new segregation debate. Retrieved from http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/06/22/the- new-segregation-debate.html • Gurian, M., & Stevens, K. (2004, Nov). With boys and girls in mind. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational- leadership/nov04/vol62/with-boys-and-girls-in-mind • Spielhagen, F. (2011). Middle school boys and girls discuss single-sex education. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Middle_School_ Boys/ • Stanberry, K. (2010). Single-sex education: the pros and cons. Retrieved from http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-your- ideal/1139-single-sex-education-the-pros-and-cons.gs?page=all

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