From the start of a child’s education, parents, teachers, and administrators are always trying to create new ways for children to learn. They make observations based on learning, behavior, classroom environment, and social interactions. When observing learning behaviors of children in a classroom, teachers are beginning to realize that one important factor of a student’s schooling is gender. Single-gender classrooms have been observed, discussed, and researched in our educational system. Many educators are beginning to ponder on what role gender plays in a child’s ability to learn and focus. Many administrators and teachers are curious about what effect this style of classroom with gender could have on a student’s growth in social and behavioral skills as well. Ultimately, students should have a choice in which classroom environments they learn in because each child learns, behaves, and interacts differently than the next and therefore one style of classroom may be more effective for different personality types. 

Many people associate single-gender classrooms with the issue of gender gap. The gender gap is the difference between women and men, especially as reflected in social, political, intellectual, cultural, or economic attainments or attitudes (Webster Dictionary). One possible root of this gap system comes from gender-stereotypes established through the education system. Another perspective is how brains work differently with each gender. Typically, in a classroom, certain stereotypes are placed on genders, like the belief that males should excel in certain subject, or that females enjoy school more as a whole. For example, it is often said that boys are/should be better at math and girls are/should be better at English and language arts (Rivers 2011). Another example is that some feel that girls should like to learn and go to school while boys should be more interested in working and playing sports (Rivers). These stereotypes have a tendency to play a part in the role of success in children in a classroom because, when developing children hear a gendered stereotype repeatedly, it is easy for them to learn to believe that it is true. In 1999, the first single-gender middle school in the country opened up. Jefferson Leadership Academy is a school that is made up of both genders in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade that are taught in single gender classrooms (Sharpe). This was one of the first times that single-gender classrooms had been tested in such a large capacity. Many of this school’s research lead to the conclusion that single-gender schools can be beneficial based on the child’s learning style, because it was found that some benefitted from it, while others struggled. 

Many people feel that there are lots of positives to separating students by gender in order to most effectively teach. In Wesley Sharpe’s article about Jefferson Leadership Academy, it is said that it appears most often that girls are “ripped off” in America’s schools. A few results from the study at Jefferson Leadership Academy proved to support this idea. One of these results being that “boys called out eight times as often as girls did” (Sharpe). It makes one wonder that if boys are answering more often and more assertively than girls, then are the girls having the opportunity to learn the material effectively?  Another question that this research brings to mind is if the girls are afraid to answer out because they are scared to be made fun of by the boys if they are wrong? These are all factors that need to be considered.

With gender separation, there is also the reduction of potential distractions because of behavior (Sharpe). This idea becomes increasingly important as children grow closer to puberty. For example, in elementary schools, gender isn’t much of an issue given the general student population is pre-pubescent. Gender begins to play a much larger role in children when they begin to reach the end of elementary school and enter into middle school. At this age, many students start to become aware of the opposite gender and tend to feel more self-conscious about their own actions and behaviors around their peers. They may become shy when told to speak out in class, become distracted by children who seek attention, or be focused on getting noticed rather than paying attention in class. By implementing single-gender education, many students will be less exposed to behavior that is distractive and will have more potential to stay focused in the classroom and feel more comfortable with participating in the lessons. A final advantage would be less of a chance gender stereotype reinforcement. Typically, it is found that teachers associate certain subject’s success with a specific gender. One example is that most people associate boys with obtaining better scores in mathematics (Barnett). In studies performed in single-gender classrooms, they found that some single-gender classrooms produced a preference for math in girls that had previously preferred and excelled in other subjects (“Research Spotlight,”). This can be seen as an advantage as students’ minds are no longer being put into a gender stereotype and as a result are learning to excel in areas where they were previously expected to struggle. Instead, with a room full of just one gender, both genders are forced into believing and feeling that they can and should achieve at anything that is put on their educational path.

Middle school is a big time for change. Early adolescence is a period of growth that fits in the middle of childhood and adolescence. During this stage of life, young adolescents, 10- to 15-year-olds, tend to experience significant and rapid developmental change. Knowing how to understand and respond to this unique developmental characteristics of young adolescents is central among the many parts of middle level education. Intellectual development is the increased ability for people to reason and understand. 1In young adolescents, intellectual development is not as visible as physical development, but it is just as intense (Stevenson). During early adolescence, children show a wide range of individual intellectual development (Kellough), including independent thought and reasoning. They tend to be curious and display wide-ranging interests (Kellough). Typically, young adolescents are eager to learn about topics they find interesting and useful and the ones that are personally relevant (Kellough). They also favor active over passive learning experiences and prefer interactions with peers during educational activities (Kellough). With this the middle school brain is developing. between the ages of 11 and 15, the brain destroys more than 20 percent of all previously built connections. The brain is, essentially, pruning itself (Strauch). The connections and synching patterns are specifically mixed and combined that some of the previous learning, memory, and skills are impacted. Sometimes students just can’t access the part of the brain they want. With this, each child is developing at a different pace. Some students are mature enough to handle being in a mixed gender classroom, while others need to be separated in a single gender environment. It all depends on the child. 

While there are advantages to having single-gender classrooms for effective teaching, there are also disadvantages. The major disadvantages would be a limited exposure to diversity, a lack of mixed-gender social skills, and the wondering why they are being split up. It has been said that classrooms separated by gender result in children wondering why the genders must be divided, and “question the value of one gender over another” (Saunders). The APA argues that school is a lengthy preparation for life beyond the classroom. If students are not having mixed-gender interactions, then they may have some difficulty communicating and working with the opposite gender as they move into the work force and ultimately the real world (Saunders). This separation not only reinforces the view of having one gender holding more value than the other, but also that it could potentially cause students to establish their own gender stereotypes (Streitmatter). If gender-separated students are brought up in areas adhering to traditional anti-feminist beliefs, these stereotypes could arise, such as ideas that girls should wear dresses and heels, boys should act masculine and be fit, girls should like Barbie dolls, and boys should like toy cars. If classrooms are single-gender, then each gender is not getting the chance to learn about the other (Blake). Students are holding on to any stereotypes they had seen or heard as a child, as well as acting on them because they have no new situations to change their mind. They are not getting to experience the diversity that exists among each gender and become more knowledgeable on the differences and similarities of each gender. This knowledge is not only important for young children, but it is also essential when a child grows up. If students grow into adulthood with very narrow minded gender stereotypes, they will have a trouble going against those stereotypes and appreciating the differences of each individual they encounter. 

An interview was conducted with two middle school students from both classroom types, as well as a teacher who has experience in both classes. The first student was a child who has experienced both classroom styles but is currently a part of a single gender class. The first question was out of both classroom styles: “which did the student prefer?” She answered:

 I prefer having a class with girls only because I felt like there was a different atmosphere. The classroom was based around learning and no judgement, which I liked. For example, if I didn’t get an A on an assignment, there wasn’t any burden or shame. When we had group discussions, I wasn’t afraid to raise my hand even if I was wrong.  I also like that the teachers were very involved. In my school, every power position was filled by a female so my school taught us that there is power in the female voice. We were taught that we could do anything and be anything and that we should not be held back because we are women. My school’s motto was girls will have the ability to do so. The only positive I can take from being in a mixed gender classroom were social skills with boys. If I didn’t have that experience, then I feel that I would have a different personality.

The next student was a student who has only experienced a mixed gender classroom. His take was “I’ve only experienced a mixed gender classroom, so obviously I’m for it. With class discussions, especially in high school English, we talked a lot about gender roles.”  He explained:

 It was cool to see the two sides of gender roles. I did see that a lot of my guy friends participated more than the girls in my class. Some must have felt intimidated or wrong about the topic. I will say that I am not afraid to participate in class. I feel that guys have an easier time discussing in class than girls. I never felt like if I answered a question wrong that I was stupid. With test scores, I never really had to study, but I would always do well. I think it just came naturally to me.

A teacher who has taught both single and mixed gender classrooms was also interviewed. During the discussion, she said:

I have been teaching for 15 years, and I’ve had the opportunity to teach in both types of a classroom. For the past 3 years, I have taught an all-boy classroom at my school. With this, I feel that my students are less competitive and more collaborative and cooperative in my class. They are also less distracted because in middle school, I tend to see my students making “googly-eyes” at each other because it’s the 3 years of big change. I feel that with lessons, I am able to have more opportunities to branch out of my lesson plan without stepping on toes with racial and gender stereotypes. In my school, we also implement positive same gender role models. With this, we have administration and key staff who come and interact with my class to form a key role model bond. Even though my students are boys, I feel that they feel less pressure to change and mature and develop. I will say, with teaching in a mixed gender classroom for 12 years, there are lots of positives. For instance, I feel that boys and girls need interaction.  In some point in their lives, boys and girls will be living in the same world whether in college or work. Being used to the same gender might cause problems with interaction. I will say, in my 3 years of single gender teaching, some children are not fit for gender-specific settings. I recently had a child switch out of my class because when looking at test scores, he benefited from interaction with both genders. I feel that it all depends on the student for which classroom is best for them. 

Overall, I think that with pros and cons from each classroom style, I feel that a student should have a choice. Yes, I said choice. Each child learns differently and no classroom style can be proved as better than the other. It is all based on opinions and observations of certain groups of students. With an emphasis on certain, it is not all students of America. I honestly can say that I personally benefit from a mixed-gender classroom because I like to hear different opinions and ideas from all different types of people. I don’t think that I would particularly learn better in an all-girl classroom, but some people feel the opposite. Students should have the opportunity to choose which classroom they are in because if they get to choose, then they will have more of a drive to learn. This actually was proven in a small group of kindergarten aged students in San Francisco, California. After this experiment was over, the teacher said that when she actually gave her students a choice, the excitement is obvious through clapping and smiling faces (Kaplan 1995). Even giving a child a choice of classroom based on their learning style could impact their future. 

Single-gender classrooms have many benefits and disadvantages. They can limit educational stereotypes among genders and allow boys and girls to feel okay about to speaking out in a class without fear of judgment or pressure from the opposite gender. On the other hand, it can also limit social growth and interaction between genders, which could cause students to never grow and learn from their own opinions on how opposite genders interact with each other. Ultimately, single-gender classrooms are going to be as successful for the children who learn better with that style. Whether there is clear knowledge of the content taught, interaction between a teacher and student, any child should be able to learn and succeed. There is no title for “the best classroom.” All classroom growth depends on the specific student because no child is the same. As single-gender classroom continues to be studied and tested, I believe it is important to remember that each child is different and should have the choice, based on their learning style, of which class to learn in.
