Single Gender Education -- EDPR 7/8112 Adolescence Sec. 001 0500-0800 R

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Date Posted: 15:41:07 03/28/07 Wed
Author: Erie Martha Roberts
Subject: Single Gender Education

Reading this week's assignment made me think a lot about single gender education. As a student, I was against it (except in gym class). I thought that if I was going to be required to compete with the boys in the "real world" for jobs, etc., then I should start at school. Now that I've started teaching, I'm begining to question that assumption. This week's reading about gender stereotypes and sexism made me think of the stereotype bias we discussed a few weeks back. Is there a stereotype bias for women? Would a single gender classroom help eliminate it? Would girls feel more confident in science if there weren't any teachers subconsiously supporting the idea that girls aren't "suited" to it? Would more boys enjoy art and literature if they were surrounded by other boys?

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Replies:

[> Re: Single Gender Education -- Jeff Osborne, 21:25:14 03/28/07 Wed

Also in my first year of teaching, I to have experienced many situations where I feel the students would have benefited much more from a single gender classroom. As an 8th grade science teacher I always find myself encouraging many of my female students to be active participants in my class. It seems at times that they do yield control of the class over to males, especially when we are doing group activities and labs. Also, in my experience over this past year I feel that students seem to focus more and not be set upon standing out in a crowd when surrounded by the same sex. For example, I have many female students who love to be the center of attention during my class, but later in the day if they return to tutoting with a group of six or seven girls there is no competition to be a star. I do feel that there are benefits to same sex classroom as well as male/female classrooms, but I think it would be worth a try in the school I work at.

>Reading this week's assignment made me think a lot
>about single gender education. As a student, I was
>against it (except in gym class). I thought that if I
>was going to be required to compete with the boys in
>the "real world" for jobs, etc., then I should start
>at school. Now that I've started teaching, I'm
>begining to question that assumption. This week's
>reading about gender stereotypes and sexism made me
>think of the stereotype bias we discussed a few weeks
>back. Is there a stereotype bias for women? Would a
>single gender classroom help eliminate it? Would
>girls feel more confident in science if there weren't
>any teachers subconsiously supporting the idea that
>girls aren't "suited" to it? Would more boys enjoy
>art and literature if they were surrounded by other
>boys?

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[> Re: Single Gender Education -- Nick Pellegrin, 13:53:28 03/29/07 Thu

I was thinkng the same thing. Many of the problems, it seems, at my school have to do with PDA (Public Displays of Affection). It is actually announced daily that these displays will be dealt with by suspension. It is also clear what is on the mind of many in class, and too often, it is not my economics/government lesson. Rather, it has to do with the opposite sex. I hate the fact that it might be necessary, but what about single-gender schools?

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[> Re: Single Gender Education -- Derwin Sisnett, 07:54:03 04/03/07 Tue

I think it would be beneficial to have single-sex education for social and academic purposes. Oftentimes people assume that single-sex education impedes on an individual's potential to successfully interact with the opposite sex. Perhaps single-sex educational programs that work collaboratively with their counterparts might better foster social growth since teachers and administrators would have more control over the interactions that would take place. Peers of the opposite sex can serve as a distraction in the classroom, so it might be better for the students if that distraction were removed.

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[> Re: Single Gender Education -- Lauren McAdams, 19:26:27 04/03/07 Tue

I also used to feel that gender specific schools were not as good a cogender schools, but after looking at the affects that it has on children, I feel that separate gender school are very beneficial. Girls especially are proven to be more independent, take more of a leadership postion, and get involved more in the classroom setting when going to single sex schools. I feel that this type of environment helps children, especially girls because they feel that they can express their opinions and not have to be quiet and submissive to boys, which tends to happen in secondary education for girls. As I have examined the idea of single sex education more fully, I feel that I am very much in favor of it.

>Reading this week's assignment made me think a lot
>about single gender education. As a student, I was
>against it (except in gym class). I thought that if I
>was going to be required to compete with the boys in
>the "real world" for jobs, etc., then I should start
>at school. Now that I've started teaching, I'm
>begining to question that assumption. This week's
>reading about gender stereotypes and sexism made me
>think of the stereotype bias we discussed a few weeks
>back. Is there a stereotype bias for women? Would a
>single gender classroom help eliminate it? Would
>girls feel more confident in science if there weren't
>any teachers subconsiously supporting the idea that
>girls aren't "suited" to it? Would more boys enjoy
>art and literature if they were surrounded by other
>boys?

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]