Many teachers and schools have tried out different forms of single-sex teaching in an attempt to improve teaching and learning for both boys and girls. This study was funded by the DfES to explore the ways in which schools were implementing single-sex teaching, and to try and assess its impact on achievement. It explored the experiences of single-sex teaching in thirty-one co-educational English schools. The authors found that the success or otherwise of the policy was critically linked to a range of factors including sex stereotyping and the teaching and learning approaches adopted in the schools. Over half the schools in the study reported positive outcomes from single sex teaching.
The study concluded by suggesting that single-sex classes can provide a positive and successful experience for boys and girls where there is a strong commitment from staff, a willingness to evaluate and diffuse good practice and, crucially, where gender reform strategies are in place. However they speculated that other factors were probably more influential than single-sex classes, such as poor behaviour and lack of achievement.
Keywords
United Kingdom; England; Gender; Boys; Girls; Behaviour; Pedagogy; Stereotypes; Teaching styles; English; Second language (learning); Attitudes; Pupils; Self esteem
In the past, single-sex teaching was often introduced to try and improve the achievement of girls in subjects such as science and maths. However, it was apparent from this study that girls have rarely been the main focus of single sex initiatives in more recent years.
For over half of the thirty one schools in the study the underachievement of boys was the motivator for the introduction of single-sex teaching, and in nine of these, it was the gender gap in English and/or modern foreign languages that was the main cause for concern. Another aim was to improve behaviour, mainly that of boys. Few schools (seven) talked about achievement in either gender-neutral terms or as if they believed that single-sex teaching would benefit both sexes equally.
The researchers found that:
Macho, 'laddish' behaviour was said by seven schools to have lessened, and two schools commented that the behaviour of a few rowdy disruptive girls was moderated by the brighter girls in their groups. Six schools said that classroom management problems lessened and that boys were easier to cope with. One interviewee for Lancashire noted that while boys became more polite, girls, who began to express themselves more, were less polite. However four schools commented on the problems of handling large groups of boys, particularly in the lower sets and several schools stated that they had abandoned single sex teaching because of a worsening or lack of improvement in boys' behaviour.
Many schools reported greater confidence amongst girls, and five commented that boys developed a better work ethic and greater motivation without the distraction of girls. It was reported that girls were provided with a calm space in which to learn without the potentially disruptive presence of boys. A Norfolk school found boys much keener and more prepared to answer questions in modern languages whilst the improved confidence and participation among girls in science continued. Benefits such as these were said to continue into the following year.
The researchers found that:
Findings relating to the impact of single sex teaching on pupil achievement varied: for example, in a Derbyshire school where maths had been taught in single sex groups for several years, results in this subject tended to be better than in other subjects for both boys and girls. Schools in Great Yarmouth and Solihull both felt that low achieving boys gained most, middle achieving boys gained little and that girls' results remained unaffected. This contrasted with results from a school in Peterborough where teachers believed girls’ results had improved whilst boys’ results had remained the same as a result of introducing single sex teaching in maths.
The researchers found that schools which abandoned single sex teaching were those where staff lacked commitment to the initiative, or where little thought had gone into teaching strategies or management issues. However they concluded that enthusiasm and commitment from the teachers might well contribute to the raising of achievement, whether the students are in mixed-sex or single-sex groups.
Teachers:
Teachers' reactions to single sex teaching were mixed. Some schools had staff who appeared enthusiastic and committed to the idea. They planned and implemented appropriate strategies, shared ideas with other teachers and fully involved the students and parents in the rationale for teaching single sex groups. In a small number of schools staff lacked commitment to the initiative and opposed the idea of single sex teaching. Evidence in the study suggested that teacher commitment was a significant factor in the success of single sex teaching.
Pupils:
A few schools evaluated student responses to single sex teaching and discovered that the large majority of boys and girls were overwhelmingly positive. In an Essex school 90% of pupils were found to be in favour of single sex teaching while a Hartlepool school reported that 98% of pupils were positively disposed to single sex teaching. Informal evaluations in sixteen schools showed that pupils were almost always in favour, and girls were particularly positive. Boys, although more ambivalent initially, were also positive once they felt they were achieving at a higher standard. However, at one school where pupils were not consulted at the start and a number of staff were opposed to single sex teaching, pupil responses were negative with boys in particular expressing their dissatisfaction.
The researchers concluded that single sex teaching was most effective when:
There was variation in the amount of preparation given to students. In a small number of schools no advance notice was given to students; in other schools students were informed in advance but without explanation. One school said that the issue was not discussed with students because they were 'too young to express an opinion'. In ten schools, however, the reasons for teaching in single-sex groups was explained to pupils, and the possibility of improved achievement as an outcome was stressed. Where explanations were given, pupils were said to be enthusiastic and excited about the prospect.
Levels of preparation of staff for the introduction of single-sex teaching varied significantly. Some schools gave no preparation to staff and in a few schools some members of the department concerned were strongly against the initiative. In other schools there was departmental discussion and considerable trouble was taken to prepare staff - some set up work parties whilst others ran training days or arranged visits to other schools.
However, the authors emphasised that single sex classes were insufficient in themselves to have a marked effect upon achievement and that there were other factors that also influenced pupil performance including:
Fourteen schools talked about the use of different teaching and learning strategies for boys' and girls' groups. In some cases strategies had been thought out before single sex teaching began, but more often staff were not aware of the different strategies initially and implemented them only when they had become accustomed to the different needs of each gender. For boys a long list of teaching and learning strategies emerged, including:
There were considerably fewer strategies suggested for girls but those mentioned were:
The researchers collected evidence using a variety of methods including:
Most of the evidence collated came from:
In completing this digest, the authors began to ask the following questions about implications for practitioners:
The DfES Standards Site Gender and Achievement website may interest practitioners regarding single sex teaching.
Read a digest on single-sex teaching in a co-educational comprehensive school in England
For more details concerning research into single sex teaching visit:
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/Research/ressinglesex.html
Raising Boy’s Achievement research project:
http://www-rba.educ.cam.ac.uk/index.html