The effects of single-sex versus coeducational physical education on american junior high PE students’ physical activity levels and self-competence

Study aim: To examine single-sex classes versus coeducational classes in 7th grade PE and the effect the setting had on physical activity (PA) levels and self-competence. Material and methods: A total of 85 students aged 12–13 years old, enrolled in the 7th grade from one junior high in the Midwestern part of the U.S.A. participated. Classes were randomly assigned as coed or single-sex. The study took place during eight lessons of a basketball unit. Four of the lessons focused on skill and four focused on game play. Average heart rate (HR) levels were recorded through HR monitors. A modified version of the Confidence in Learning Mathematics scale was administered to the students. Results: A 2 × 2 Factorial ANOVA was completed to examine the effect of setting and gender on average HR during gameplay lessons, average HR during skill-based lessons, confidence, usefulness, and appropriateness. Results revealed on average, girls had fewer bpm compared to boys during gameplay. Also, girls in the single-sex setting had, on average, higher HR during gameplay compared to girls in coeducational. Conclusions: Similarly, to other research, males had higher bpm during game play than females and higher HR’s in the single-sex setting than the coed setting. This suggests that during basketball it might be more ideal for females to participate in a single-sex setting to elicit more activity.