The debate of single sex vs. coed schooling brings interest to me because I am curious about the different ways young boys and girls learn. For example, because they mature at different times both mentally and physically, they must be taught separately. This research question doesn't affect my values very much. I believe that although genders are equal, they have different ways of maturing and act differently when growing up. I see this from personal experience because I went to coed public schools and then a single sex high school. I originally believed that single sex schooling was better for high schools because it was based off of my own personal experience; however, my beliefs have changed since I realized that single sex schools may also benefit the younger age in middle and elementary schools. It benefits them because that is the time period when kids mature and grow the most. I have experience in both fields, but do believe that a single sex high school benefited me because it allowed me to become more confident and independent. I believe that I am qualified to write on this based on my past and personal experience with both sides of the argument.

In my first article, "Single Sex Education: Pros and Cons" Stanberry discusses pros of single sex education and that there is many natural differences to how boys and girls learn. He explains that because of this, they need to be separated. The article also discusses that the cons consist of arguments such as discrimination of gender alone with how splitting gender up in education will negatively affect working with the opposite sex in the workplace. The major values at stake for this article are nature vs nurture. Factors that can effect a child's learning abilities is the nature of the student while nurture deals with culture and family upbringing. Another value from the article is that during coed education, children learn how to work well with the opposite sex. Lastly, research indicates that children will learn better if teachers use techniques geared toward the gender of their students. Kristen Stanberry is a writer who specializes in parenting, education and health. She has expertise in learning disabilities and AD/HD. This makes her credible because of her specialty along with being an expert in children learning disorders which relates greatly to education of kids. However, she may be slightly bias because she works with kids with disabilities.

This article from the American Psychological Association addresses whether or not single sex schools improves education. Novotney discusses whether single sex schools benefit specific genders or if coed schools better help to prepare students for real life. The article informs the reader about the learning differences between males and females. The major values shown in this article are how students learn and how males and females grow, learn and mature at different times in different ways. The article also discusses gender stereotypes and how it depends on the specific child or situation. The author is Amy Novotney, a psychologist, and the majority of her article is interviews of psychologists that are experts in the field, which makes them credible. For example, many of the experts are doctors that are professors in the psychology department and teach about issues like these. She is not bias towards the topic because she views both sides of the argument.

My next article discusses that in many cases boys seem to be falling behind girls at different school levels, maturing speeds along with behavior issues. Coed schools therefore teach without regard to sex. The article discusses how in single sex schools there is better pass rates on exams because each gender is taught differently based on their specific needs. Some major values of this article are that young boys seem to fall behind girls in many different ways. For example, they are more likely to drop out of school and/or repeat a grade. Another problem is that coed schools imply sex blind instructions for the students when each gender needs to be taught in different ways. Michael Gilbert is credible to discuss this topic because he got his graduate degree from Harvard University and is the author of "The Disposable Male." His career of being a university teacher along with a research analyst focusing on gender philosophy makes him credible on the topic of single sex schooling. 

My research question is arguable because there are two sides to the debate, either agreeing with single sex schooling or arguing against that topic saying that coed schooling is better. Some agreements with my sources are that in single sex schooling benefit the students because girls and boys mature at different ages. Another agreement has to do with my counter argument that coed schools help to benefit student's interactions with each other to help them later on in life. Different perspectives have affected my own by showing me exactly why gender should be separated instead of the common reason that boys and girls are a distraction to each other. I might revise my research question by focusing on specifically the elementary age.
