It is no secret that, in general, boys and girls differ in their learning styles. Capitalizing on these differences could advance classroom performance. With on-going concerns about student success in school, any changes in the classroom that could increase student achievement should be considered. Recognizing the learning differences between boys and girls, one of the changes that could be instituted is single-gender classrooms.
Single-gender classrooms would allow boys and girls to be instructed in a way that is conducive to them. Literature choices could be offered to girls that are different from the ones offered to the boys. Science experiments for the boys could be more hands-on and messy as opposed to the girls’ science
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Review of the Literature When it comes to the classroom, there are several differences between girls and boys. There are physical differences in the way their brains work, differences in the room temperature that is best for boys and girls, and differences in how girls and boys respond to various tones of speech (Sax, 2006). While girls prefer soft-spoken teachers, Sax (2006) notes that boys prefer to be spoken to “loudly and in short, direct sentences with clear instructions” (p. 195). According to Sax (2006), “the ideal ambient temperature for boys is about 69 degrees and about 75 degrees for girls” (p. 193-194). Further differences involve how boys and girls learn. McNeil states that “boys may learn better under pressure and when allowed to move around...while girls may perform better in group situations and with a lot of encouragement” (McNeil, 2008). Because of these many differences, it would stand to reason that boys and girls would benefit from being in separate classrooms. According to Hughes (2007), “the teacher would be able to concentrate on the learning-styles of each sex and use the styles to bring out the academic best in each students. Lessons and activities could be designed with a single-sex in mind” (p. 11). As Principal John Fox states, “the single-sex environment enables you to actually focus on the particular needs of each gender, and those needs socially and
There are multiple reasons why Kelley King, Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens are on the pro side. For one reason, they believe that the differences exist due to boys being more interactive with certain topics and methods that don’t usually interest girls or vice versa. For example, the Wamsley Elementary School in Rifle, Colorado has both boy and girl students. However, in the past, the girl students over accomplished the boy students due to the school staff being more experienced in understanding how to teach girls than understanding how to teach boys. So, the school focused on teaching the boys with their own learning styles that are also girl friendly such as online courses. The result of this was successful as boys became more accomplished than they were from before. (Pages 147 – 148).
The reasoning behind this is that girls perform better in single gender classrooms because it removes the air of worried competitiveness from the schools (Sax 245-246). In the U.S.A. the school system tried to promote gender equality by introducing a gender blind system. But, Dr Leonard Sax author of Why Gender Matters points out that this has “[lead] paradoxically to a strengthening of gender stereotypes, with the result that fewer girls take courses in physics, computer sciences, trigonometry and calculus” (99). In coed schools today girls shy away from typically boyish subjects because they feel out of place or are discouraged and boys shy away from typically girlish subjects from fear of being mocked (243). As I pointed out, girls are constantly stressed with trying to meet our cultural standards for them.
Because boys tend to speak up and participate more often in classrooms, the girls usually just observe and learn the lesson. Separating the students will help fix this problem and allow girls to have a chance to participate and learn in ways that they are comfortable with.
In her essay “ Single-Sex Schools: An Old Time Idea Whose Time Has Come,” Diane Urbina Argues that it would be more beneficial if we had single-sex schools. The myth is debunked is that boys and girls are restricted by nature in relation to what they can learn and how fast. Rather, their brain development is restricted, and so they can only learn so much in a certain time period. Boys learn literacy skills more slowly. Girls have trouble with math. Therefore, boys and girls who attend
The typical classroom consists an image of boys and girls coexisting, working together, and learning in the same way. As when you walk into certain schools you will see rooms with blue walls with race cars on it, while other rooms will have pink walls with flowers on it. These classrooms would be single-gender. Many students or parent is not given an option of single-sex classrooms without it being a private school and costing hundreds of dollars. Schools should be able to offer students more than one option without having a distraction of the opposite gender.
I believe there would be many more dramatic situations in a single gender classroom. If you have a classroom filled with females, they are less likely to find a compromise in an argument; therefore, making the classroom more disruptive. Furthermore, indirectly bullying another female, will also add more tension to the classroom; making the classroom more distracting. These action will ultimately lead to an unacceptable learning environment.
Did you know that single-sex classrooms are the worst classes ever? Over the past decade, single-gender classrooms have been opened in at least 230 schools in the rural, suburban, and the urban areas. Single-gender classrooms are classrooms where either young girls’ are in one class together, or young boys are in another class together. Single-sex classrooms were created because studies showed that boys and girls learn differently and they could benefit from being in a classroom with peers to whom they can relate. Since 2008, single-gender education has been the key to improved educational performance among boys and girls throughout the years. Today, gender differences among girls and boys are steadily rising in the classrooms they are in,
Not only does single-sex education create negative transitions into society, but it has been shown to negatively affect boys health and maturity. There has been many studies that show that girls do in fact, have a positive influence on a boy’s maturity. Theoretically it would only be the same in single-sex classrooms. Girls in school, typically have much higher concentration and ability to understand the lesson being taught to them. When in an environment with girls, the boys are able to think in a different way than in an all boy class, because the girls focus in on different perspectives that a guy’s maturity level would not usually be able to comprehend (‘pros
Students in single gender schools break out of their gender roles. According to Jeanne Sather, Magnet Schools of America Conference, “supporters of same-sex education say it builds confidence and helps students concentrate on their work by removing the distractions of dating and other social pursuits.” The goal that teachers want students to reach is to endure as much learning as they can. Boys and girls become more open-minded when it comes to choosing subjects in single gender schools as if they were switching gender roles. Females refer more to masculine activities and males refer to feminine activities (Andre). Single gender schools teach students how to expand their subject choices. Effective teaching of children
The driving force to this surge is the recent research which shows that natural differences in how males and females learn. Putting this research in practice, however has prompted a heated debate that goes beyond the pure academics bringing in play the civil rights, political, socioeconomic and legal concerns. The debate helps us understand the sides to take as its shows the cons and pros of single-sex education system.
To say every girl is the same and every boy is the same is ridiculous. Every single person is different. Single gendered classes could bring up so many different issues with students, schools and families. Imagine you are a 8 year old student, a girl, and your family takes it upon themselves to put you in a class filled with the same gender. They didn’t ask what you’d like, as if your opinion on the topic didn’t matter. Let’s also say you don’t like the class because you don’t get along with the other girls. You don’t dress in pink, you dress in blue. You don’t like all the same things they do. You don’t paint your nails. You don’t have long glorious hair. All your friends are boys. So now you’re forced into this class with not a single boy.
Gender differences occur in many aspects of a person’s life whether it is culture, politics, occupation, family and relationships, or the economy (just to name a few). One major difference in gender occurs in learning and education in the elementary and secondary levels. Research has found that males and females learn differently in many aspects of education. First of all, female and male brains are constructed differently affecting the way they learn; this leads to basic differences in learning and also gives an introduction into why the way one learns differs according to gender and how males and females learn subjects and tasks differently. Second, males and females are treated differently, sometimes unconsciously, in educational
Boys and girls learn in two different ways. This reason is why having a single sex school is more rewarding than a co-ed school. According to Dr. Schlosser of Breckinridge County Middle School's (Kentucky) the difference between the way boys and girls learn are the type of weather boys and girls prefer.) Boys prefer to learn in a cool, dark room. When there are two different people wanting two different things its hard to please both sides. Boys also learn much slower than what girls learn, this could be a problem for girls in the same class as boys for girls would learn and to move on, but would have to cut back their learning to wait for the boys to learn the same material. Boys also are interested in different subjects than what girls like. Boys are most secretly interested in music, science, and math. According to GreatSchools.com says boys feel girls won’t like them when they know they are interested in other things such as music and math and not baseball, football, and soccer. Many boys won’t show interest in music in a co-ed school. When boys are placed in a single sex school they won’t have the feeling of impressing girls so more boys will show their interest in arts and music. Boys are much better with math and science than what girls are says NASSPE VIII. NASSPE Vlll is single-sex school out of Huston Texas. "The most profound difference between girls and boys is in any brain structure per se, but also in the sequence of
Single-sex education consists of separating male and female students and teaching them in different schools or classes. Although controversial and often looked as antiquated, more Americans have been considering single-sex schools as a viable option since the early 2000’s. The reason? With various problems public school education faces, many parents have been looking at single-sex education as a potential solution to some of those problems. In addition, with the very convincing gender rhetoric those in favor for single-sex schooling use, it’s become a seemingly inviting and rational choice. But, schools should not employ single-sex classes because the long list of socio-psychological consequences on children, insufficient empirical data, and the false claims used in favor for single-sex education outweigh the so-called minimal advantages of single-gender classes.
In single sex schools boys and girls excel in subjects they usually would not. Single sex schools help children do well in subjects they usually would not be good at or subjects they would not usually try. For example girls do better at maths and science in all-girl schools; boys do better in languages and the arts in all boy schools. My first example to backup my point is a study by Cambridge University in 2006 where their research showed “boys improved in english and foreign languages in single sex classes, and girls improved in maths and physics. This proves girls and boys do better in subjects they usually would not do because they are more comfortable in a single sex school rather than a co-educational school. A second piece of evidence to help argue my point is a United States study that found boys at single sex