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Single Gender Education. By Timothy Hamrick. Dr. Leonard Sax on Gender Differences. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXqiJLZm-DI&feature=related. Advocates. Noticeable differences in test scores Bridges the gender gap Caters to the different ways boys and girls learn
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Single Gender Education By Timothy Hamrick
Dr. Leonard Sax on Gender Differences http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXqiJLZm-DI&feature=related
Advocates • Noticeable differences in test scores • Bridges the gender gap • Caters to the different ways boys and girls learn • Safe classroom environment • Less distraction due to need to impress opposite sex
Gender Bias • Many advocates point to gender bias in classrooms • Boys: • Classroom environment caters to how girls think and behave • Boys make up more than 2/3 of students labeled “learning disabled” • 80% of high school dropouts • Earn 70% of D’s and F’s teachers give out • Girls: • Teachers are more likely to call on boys & reinforce, praise, and encourage them • Boys eight times more likely to speak out in class • Prominent figures studied are male http://www.girlslearndifferently.com/classroombias.php http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/genderbias.html
Strategies for Single-Gender Classrooms • Noise levels • “Controlled chaos” for boys • Quiet, distraction free for girls • Differentiated order • Boys are able to reason spatially earlier • Language and fine-motor skills develop earlier for girls • Movement • Boys tend to prefer motion, movement • Girls generally prefer tranquility • Activity Structure • Girls often thrive in group building activities • Boys enjoy competition
Opponents • Lack of research backed evidence for improved test scores • Miss out on social experiences • Not true to real world environment • Gender differences aren’t prevalent • Improvements are due to increased attention, not because classroom segregation • Waste of money that could be used elsewhere
Summary • There are clear differences between how boys and girls perceive information as well as their physical and cognitive development • Simply separating the sexes does not produce results • The biggest factor is the educational techniques the instructor uses • These techniques can be implemented in both co-ed and single-gender classrooms • Single-gender classrooms make planning lessons directed at a particular gender easier