Identity and Academic Achievement in Single Sex and Coed Schools in Jamaica

This study sought to determine disparities and associated factors in students’ performance in Physics and Chemistry at the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) ex- amination in Nandi North District. The research objectives included determining differences in students’ performance at KCSE in Physics and Chemistry, self-concept (perception) of, attitude toward, and perception of the usefulness of Physics and Chemistry as subjects. Students were classified accord- ing to gender, using a causal-comparative design. Majority of the students aged between 15 and 19 years. Three ques- tionnaires were administered to the form four students, and KCSE results for the years 2000 – 2004 were obtained from the District Education Office. These were analyzed using de- scriptive and inferential statistics. We concluded that boys reflected better academic achievement as compared to the girls in both physics and chemistry. The boys and girls had comparable self-concept in physics. The girls had a higher self-concept in chemistry than the boys. This may suggest that self-concept does not influence performance in chemistry since boys still out-performed the girls in spite of the girls’ higher self-concept. With regard to attitude towards chemistry and physics, the boys and girls had the same attitude, mixed and single-sex school students had comparable attitude to- wards physics and chemistry. An intervention regarding the level of preparedness of primary school pupils in dealing with the challenges of learning Physics and Chemistry at sec- ondary is recommended.

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Escaping stereotypes: Educational attitudes of male alumni of single-sex and coed schools.

Psychology of Men & Masculinity ◽

10.1037/1524-9220.4.2.136 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 136-148 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Abigail Norfleet James ◽

Herbert C. Richards

Keyword(s):

Educational Attitudes ◽

Single Sex ◽

Coed Schools

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The Effects of Single-sex Mathematics Classrooms on African-American Males in the Ninth Grade

Journal of Mathematics Research ◽

10.5539/jmr.v9n1p19 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 19

Author(s):

Denise Faulkner-Simmons

Keyword(s):

Academic Achievement ◽

African American ◽

Learning Styles ◽

African American Males ◽

Ninth Grade ◽

Student Groups ◽

Mathematics Scores ◽

Single Sex ◽

Ex Post ◽

Scale Scores

High dropout rates and poor academic performance are frequent characteristics of the educational experience for African-American male youths (Bailey & Paisley, 2004). With increased accountability standards to raise the academic achievement levels, single-sex educational environments have taken a central role in school reform agendas and initiatives in many school districts (Herr & Arms, 2004). The incorporation of a single-sex grouping served as a conduit for teachers to deliver instruction based on the varied learning styles of the students.This study was designed to determine the effect single-sex classroom instruction has on African American males’ achievement in ninth-grade mathematics compared to that of the other student groups. The researcher investigated a public school in a North Texas school district that offered alternative educational options for the students. Single-sex classrooms were created in mathematics. Teachers taught single-sex classes of students from varied ethnic backgrounds during at least one double-blocked period each day. Ex post facto data were analyzed. An independent samples t-test and a two-way factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were utilized to test each hypothesis to determine whether significant differences existed in the scale scores of comparison groups on state-mandated assessments over a period of 3 years. The instrument used to measure academic achievement is the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.This study found that the mathematics scores of African American males in single-sex classes did not significantly differ from the scores of African American males in coeducational classes. The scores for the males in single-sex classes were slightly higher than that of males in coeducational classes at each grade level throughout the 3-year period. The mathematics scores of African American females in single-sex learning environments were not significantly different than those of African American males in single-sex classes. The scores for the female students were consistently higher throughout the 3-year period. This study identified the need for single-sex instructional opportunities for students as a means of eliminating the achievement gap.

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Do single-sex classes affect academic achievement? An experiment in a coeducational university

Journal of Public Economics ◽

10.1016/j.jpubeco.2018.08.016 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 168 ◽

pp. 109-126 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Alison L. Booth ◽

Lina Cardona-Sosa ◽

Patrick Nolen

Keyword(s):

Academic Achievement ◽

Single Sex

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Changes in Women's Majors from Entrance to Graduation at Women's and Coeducational Colleges

ILR Review ◽

10.1177/001979399504800309 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 48 (3) ◽

pp. 505-514 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Sara J. Solnick

Keyword(s):

Women's Colleges ◽

Female Students ◽

Single Sex ◽

Coed Schools ◽

Male Dominated ◽

Using Data

Using data on the anticipated and final majors of 1700 students at eight women's colleges and 818 female students at seven coed colleges, the author tests whether women at single-sex institutions were more likely than their counterparts at coed schools to remain in traditionally male-dominated subjects and whether they were more likely to shift from traditionally female-dominated subjects. Depending on how broadly “female-dominated majors” is defined, 40% to 75% of women at women's colleges who began in such majors shifted to neutral or male-dominated fields during their college careers, compared to only about 25% of women at coed schools. Approximately 22% of women at both types of school left male-dominated majors.

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Sex Differences in 32,347 Jordanian 4th Graders on the National Exam of Mathematics

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000278 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 71-81

Author(s):

Ismael S. Al-Bursan ◽

Emil O. W. Kirkegaard ◽

John Fuerst ◽

Salaheldin Farah Attallah Bakhiet ◽

Mohammad F. Al Qudah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Measurement Invariance ◽

Item Difficulty ◽

School Type ◽

Male Advantage ◽

Single Sex ◽

Item Position ◽

Mathematics Test ◽

Item Response Theory Analysis ◽

Coed Schools

Abstract. Sex differences in mathematical ability were examined in a nation-wide sample of 32,346 Jordanian 4th graders (age 9–10 year) on a 40-item mathematics test. Overall, boys were found to perform slightly worse ( d = −0.12) but had slightly more variation in scores ( SD = 1.02 and SD = 0.98 for boys and girls, respectively). However, when results were disaggregated by school type, single-sex versus coed (i.e., coeducational), boys were found to perform better than girls in coed schools ( d = 0.27) but worse across single-sex schools ( d = −0.37). Two-parameter item response theory analysis showed that item difficulty was similar across sexes in the full sample. Item loadings exhibited substantial departure from measurement invariance with respect to boys and girls at single-sex schools, though. For boys and girls at coed schools, both the item difficulty and item loading correlations were highly similar, evincing that measurement invariance largely held in this case. Partially consistent with findings from other countries, a correlation between item difficulty and male advantage was observed, r = .57, such that the relative male advantage increased with increased item difficulty. Complicating interpretation, this association did not replicate within coed schools. Item content, Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy category, and item position showed no relation to sex differences.

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