Single-sex school Versus Co-ed School 1 Is Single-sex School More Beneficial to The Student’s Academic Result than Co-ed School? Gabriela Kristyawisesagati 1806240473 Universitas Indonesia Single-sex school Versus Co-ed School 2 Is Single-sex School More Beneficial to The Student’s Academic Result than Co-ed School? Single-sex school refers to both classes and schools that have only one sex, defined by a biological classification. The alternative, in which both sexes are present in class or in the school as a whole, is referred to as a co-ed school. There are many arguments and comparisons about whether there is an advantage to one gender context or another, and yet the conclusions are still debatable. Outcomes most commonly assessed are mathematics, science, reading comprehension, academic performance and attitudes, gender stereotyping and student's characteristics as well as their social well-being (Bigler & Signorella, 2011). There are many studies wanted to examine the differences between single-sex school and co-ed school in association with the academic achievement of the students and their learning process. One of the studies compared academic achievement between single-sex school and co-ed school by averaging students' GPA (Yalcinkaya & Ulu, 2012). Participants were ten students and three teachers from two single-sex schools and one co-ed school in Kazakhstan. All the participants were in the same ages, socioeconomic level, ethnicity, religion and intellectual level (based on entrance exams). The result showed the average of male students' GPA who studied in single-sex school was 4.48 and the average of female students' GPA was 4.60. Meanwhile, the average GPA of co-ed school male students was 4.30. The data also showed that students who studied in single-sex school have more advantages in learning experiences, more enthusiasm and more academically oriented. Consequently, they lacked social skills compared to the students in co-ed school. Meanwhile, students in the co-ed school benefited more in social abilities and seemed to be less academically oriented. They were more focused on their ability to assess their social skill. Other studies have found out that single-sex school were more significantly beneficial in term of academic achievement among girls but not among boys (Else-Quest & Peterca, 2015). They succeeded to reach the result by doing some surveys to the participants in which Single-sex school Versus Co-ed School 3 their parents or guardians already gave permissions. The samples of this study were 46 11thgrade students of single-sex schools and 42 students from co-ed schools. Along with that, the researchers also examined the differences of student's academic attitudes in single-sex school and co-ed school. The result showed that students who studied in co-ed school significantly have more positive attitudes on reading comprehension compared to the students in single-sex school. In addition, boys were more likely to show positive attitudes toward mathematics regardless of the school type. On the other side, Dustmann, Ku, & Kwak (2018) wanted to point out the reasons why single-sex schools were better than co-ed schools. The participants of this research were all Korean high-schoolers. Instead of gathering data, the researchers acquired their data from school administrators. Based on the diagrams, statistics, and tables which were acquired, the researchers concluded that pupils in single-sex schools outperformed their friends in co-ed schools by 5 to 10 percent with standard deviation for boys and 4 to 7 percent for girls. Other experiments stated that segregating boys and girls in the classroom will increase gender stereotyping (Hilliard & Liben, 2010). They added that single-sex schools were more likely to exacerbate the gender stereotyping. Meanwhile, Else-Quest & Peterca (2015) founded that single-sex school was more likely to provide a liberating environment, free of gender role and expectation. Thus, this research showed that school-types not only influence the students' academic achievement and attitudes but it also affects their perspectives towards gender stereotyping. The conclusions of the study by Bryk and Lee (1986) also highlight ‘the advantages for students of single-sex schools, particularly boys, as regards achievement, as well as a lower degree of these assuming gender stereotypes’, which means gender stereotyping in all boys schools were relatively low. Some studies also have reported that single-sex schools are linked to less gender-stereotyped academic attitudes (Kessels & Hannover, 2010; Stables, 1990) and Single-sex school Versus Co-ed School 4 many also argue that single-sex school can break down gender stereotypes. In conclusion, gender stereotyping less occurs in single-sex schools rather than in co-ed schools. Single-sex schools also improve student's self-concept of ability in school subjects that are usually considered appropriate for the other gender (Crombie & Armstrong, 1999; Hoffman, Badgett, & Parker, 2008; Lee & Marks, 1990). It means that single-sex schools may permit the student to engage more freely in subjects that are loaded with gender-stereotypes. In addition, all-girls school fostered students’ feelings of empowerment, peer support, and positive self-concept. Meanwhile, all-boys schools were less supportive learning environment and less discipline (Else-Quest & Peterca, 2015). From the research that was conducted by Yalcinkaya & Ulu (2012) stated that students who studied in single-sex schools were said to be lacking in their communication skills with the opposite sex. Students from all-girls and all-boys schools might feel shy, uncomfortable and do not know how to behave in front of their opposite sex and sometimes put them in a complex situation. Lack of communication skill with the opposite sex will cause some troubles for the future. They might not be able to make a connection with new people and behave appropriately in front of the opposite sex. But all of this also depends on the personality of the student. Compared to students from co-ed schools, they were more advanced in terms of communication skill. According to the meta-analysis conducted by Pahlke, Hyde, & Allison (2014) , singlesex schools generally produced only trivial advantages over co-ed schools, with most weighted effect sizes smaller than 0.10. Single-sex schools have only little advantages over the co-ed schools in any outcomes. The researchers produced the results by using meta-analysis to conduct the study by analysing data from 184 studies. They used secondary data by using multiple methods to gather the data. Single-sex school Versus Co-ed School 5 Different from other studies, Garcia-Gracia & Donoso Vázquez (2016) wanted to emphasize the differences in the academic achievement for boys and girls who study in singlesex school and co-ed school. The study was conducted in Catalonia, Spain by choosing 15 single-sex schools and 10 mixed-schools as the sample with a total of 1217 students. The result showed that girls in co-ed schools obtained higher scores than boys in linguistic competence, while boys scored higher in mathematics. Meanwhile, boys in single-sex schools achieved higher mathematics competence than girls in single-sex schools. The researchers concluded that there was no notable difference between the results. The result made as proof that in the early year, women were often intimidated by men in terms of academic achievement. Women were seen low and could not do anything besides doing house chores or cooking. As time passed, women's educational participation was more apparent and their participation as subject choices and career prospects, educators, bureaucrats, and politicians were improved in the early 1970s. To sum up, single-sex schools and co-ed schools only have a slight difference in the results. There are many advantages and disadvantages of both schools in association with student's academic achievement and attitudes. Although student from single-sex school a bit lack in communication and social skill, single-sex schools promote more supportive learning environment compared to co-ed school. The students also have more advantages in learning experiences and more academically oriented. Meanwhile, students from co-ed schools are able to communicate better with their opposite-sex compare to students from single-sex schools. They are more confident and less shy to talk in front of people and can behave appropriately in front of the opposite sex. This benefits can be very useful for students' future career. Moreover, compared to the students in single-sex school, students from co-ed schools benefited more in social abilities and less academically oriented. Single-sex school Versus Co-ed School 6 References: Bigler, R. S., & Signorella, M. L. (2011). Single-Sex Education: New Perspectives and Evidence on a Continuing Controversy. Sex Roles, 65(9–10), 659–669. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-011-0046-x Crombie, G., & Armstrong, P. I. (1999). Effects of Classroom Gender Composition on Adolescents’ Computer-Related Attitudes and Future Intentions. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 20(4), 317–327. https://doi.org/10.2190/XW2D-THFA-T6RWY8H9 Dustmann, C., Ku, H., & Kwak, D. W. (2018). Why Are Single-Sex Schools Successful? Labour Economics, 54, 79–99. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2018.06.005 Else-Quest, N. M., & Peterca, O. (2015). Academic Attitudes and Achievement in Students of Urban Public Single-Sex and Mixed-Sex High Schools. American Educational Research Journal, 52(4), 693–718. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831215591660 Garcia-Gracia, M., & Donoso Vázquez, T. (2016). Mixed schools versus single-sex schools: are there differences in the academic results for boys and girls in Catalonia? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20(2), 149–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2015.1079269 Hilliard, L. J., & Liben, L. S. (2010). Differing Levels of Gender Salience in Preschool Classrooms: Effects on Children’s Gender Attitudes and Intergroup Bias. Child Development, 81(6), 1787–1798. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01510.x Hoffman, B. H., Badgett, B. A., & Parker, R. P. (2008). The Effect of Single-Sex Instruction in a Large, Urban, At-Risk High School. The Journal of Educational Research, 102(1), 15–36. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOER.102.1.15-36 Single-sex school Versus Co-ed School 7 Kessels, U., & Hannover, B. (2010). When being a girl matters less: Accessibility of genderrelated self-knowledge in single-sex and coeducational classes and its impact on students’ physics-related self-concept of ability. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 78(2), 273–289. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709907X215938 Lee, V. E., & Bryk, A. S. (1986). Effects of single-sex secondary schools on student achievement and attitudes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 78(5), 381-395. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.78.5.381 Lee, V. E., & Marks, H. M. (1990). Sustained effects of the single-sex secondary school experience on attitudes, behaviors, and values in college. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(3), 578-592. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.82.3.578 Pahlke, E., Hyde, J. S., & Allison, C. M. (2014). The effects of single-sex compared with coeducational schooling on students’ performance and attitudes: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 1042. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0035740 Stables, A. (1990). Differences between Pupils from Mixed and Single‐sex Schools in Their Enjoyment of School Subjects and in Their Attitudes to Science and to School. Educational Review, 42(3), 221–230. https://doi.org/10.1080/0013191900420301 Yalcinkaya, M. T., & Ulu, A. (2012). Differences Between Single-Sex Schools and CoEducation Schools. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 13–16. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.05.058
