Why Boys Do Better in Single Sex Schools
Whilst research shows that both girls and boys do better in single-sex schools, the advantage for the boys is more significant.
There is a long-standing educational myth that boys do better in the classroom if girls are present to set them a good example. However, a study undertaken by Graham Able from Dulwich College, looking at the performance of girls and boys in 30 single-sex and co-educational schools in England and found that, while both sexes did better in single-sex schools than in co-educational schools, the single-sex advantage was greater for the boys.
So why might single-sex schools benefit boys more than girls?
There are biological and neurological differences between boys and girls that affect the way they develop intellectually and the way they learn. Boys mature physically and emotionally later than girls and, on average, are developmentally behind in vocabulary, hearing, fine motor control and concentration when they start school. In a boys' school, boys can gain confidence in their ability to learn, without being compared to girls who mature more quickly and tend to enjoy more success in school.
Boys are also motivated by different things. An ideal learning environment for boys is characterised by a proactive and assertive approach, which avoids the negative or confrontational, conveys high expectations and a sense of challenge and uses praise regularly and consistently.
Many boys find sitting still in a classroom and paying attention to someone talking far more difficult than girls. Single-sex schools offer excellent opportunities for putting into practice boy-friendly teaching strategies. Some teachers in all-boy classrooms, for example, have removed desks and chairs altogether because they find young boys learn better when they stand up and move around.
Boys are motivated by the idea of “working hard for the team” and boys’ schools understand the importance of developing a team ethic within the classroom. Boys are also more likely to respond to humour and informality on the part of both teachers and students and to teaching methods which identify with their interests and enthusiasms, without reinforcing stereotypes.
Boys also typically enjoy reading different texts to girls. Research on gender and literacy shows that boys are more inclined to read informational texts and magazine and newspaper articles and are more enthusiastic about reading electronic texts.
There is some evidence to suggest that boys who attend boys’ schools may also do better in terms of maturity and social adjustment because they don’t have to demonstrate their emerging masculinity and there are more diverse male role models. They are also free to participate fully In all aspects of the school curriculum.
Andrew Hunter, a school principal in the USA who has taught at both co-ed and single-sex schools, says "there is a subtle pressure toward gender stereotyping in some mixed schools. In boys' schools, boys feel free to be themselves, to follow their interests and talents in what might be regarded as non-macho pursuits: music, arts, drama." Brian Walsh, a principal at private boys’ schools and private co-ed schools in New England, USA, observed “Boys ordinarily do not even try to sing in a co-ed school, whereas they love singing in a boys’ school; in the co-ed setting they make fun of French pronounation, whereas in the single-sex setting they enjoy becoming fluent in French.”
Whether or not you agree with the academics above, deciding whether you would like a single-sex education for your child requires much thought. However, it is not the only consideration. What is most important is that the school you choose is a good school and that it feels right for your child.
Connecting Boys to Schools: Paper for the White House Conference on Helping Americas Youth, Indianapolis, Indiana, 6 June 2006 by Professor Judith Kleinfield; National Association of Single-Sex Public Education, USA
Note 1: This example comes from Leonard Sax, Why Gender Matters, New York: Broadway Books, 2006, pp. 252-253.
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04/01/2017 12:00 AM