Paper Example: Same-Sex Classrooms

Same-sex education is the practice of conducting an environment where girls and boys attend separate classes or schools. The method is most common in private schools, while most public schools still practice mixed learning. Just like in other areas of contemporary American society, education has its trends (Pahlke & Hyde, 2016). The current trend in American education is the separation of gender. Some schools in California, specifically public schools, have tried the same-sex education system, and it has failed, but the idea still spreads in other States. According to those who support same-sex education, the system enhances confidence among learners through the removal of distractions that include social pursuits and dating (Hoelker, 2018). Battles continue to rage on whether a parent should consider taking their child to a same-sex education school, and whether students in these schools perform better than the ones with all genders. This essay focuses on arguing that parents should consider same-sex classrooms because they allow students to learn better.

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Arguments

For most girls, the experience they have in high school is essential in shaping who they become and in analyzing their options when it comes to their future careers. Education programs impact the lives of girls profoundly when they are in high school. A successful high school experience ensures that a woman puts more emphasis on their academic excellence. A child performs to the best of their ability when exposed to a suitable environment. Since same-sex education seems to have an impact on girls, most public schools need to be fixed. The most disadvantaged students have been identified in many studies to benefit from public education ((Pahlke & Hyde, 2016). Although the male and female students are distinct in many ways, educators lack knowledge of how each of their brains is different, including their emotional, social, and physiological distinctions. Girls and boys function differently, necessitating a need for reaching and teaching them differently. As compared to girls, boys develop their motor skills earlier.

Same-sex classrooms ensure that teachers have an easy time matching the behavioral aspects of their learners with their instructional styles (Munniksma, Scheepers, Stark & Tolsma, 2017). Most females favor getting an education and learning in quiet places where they can work as a team to come to agreements, while boys prefer working in a setting that is physically active, more competitive, and a bit louder. Studies conducted on same-sex schooling shows that boys are impacted from same-sex classrooms, where their teachers adopt an education technique that encourages their tendencies, in times of class discussions to be confrontational and direct, to be loud and exciting and to be full of interruption in the part of both the teacher and student associations (Munniksma et al., 2017). While some girls and boys might prefer being educated in all-sex classrooms, incorporation of same-sex learning in public schools can be useful, cheap, and innovative. It will enhance performance in specific subjects like science and math. Girls learning in all-girl environment setting are more comfortable in pursuing non-traditional subjects like math, science, and technology, and seem to be more comfortable in sharing their opinions and interests (Kombe, Che & Bridges, 2019). Children who learn with their same-gender peers attend their studies more often, speak in the classroom more openly, and are more encouraged to attain their full potential.

Research has suggested that most female graduates who attended same-sex schoolings have excelled more academically as compared to the ones who attended mixed-gender classrooms (Eder & Oberzaucher, 2019). The outcomes of various studies have pointed towards putting more weight on gender-specific learning systems, where females obtain higher scores in tests. Females in same-gender schools tend to put more effort into classwork and spend more time in their studies, as compared to those in mixed schools, where the presence and attention of boys prevent them from focusing. In 2018, the University of California showed that most girls in that came from same-sex classrooms had higher levels of self-confidence in science, they considered themselves as critical thinkers and had higher scores in academic measures of the mind; these girls also demonstrated stronger study habits (Eder & Oberzaucher, 2019). When data was taken by the Australian Council of Educational Research in 2017, on literacy and numeracy, it was identified that even after the social, economic status of students is considered, learners in same-sex environments were ahead of those in blended learning especially in mathematics (Eder & Oberzaucher, 2019).

Females who graduate from same-sex classrooms have less traditional sex roles (Dijkstra & Berger, 2018). Girls In same-sex environments are allowed to explore many male-dominated areas, as compared to girls in mixed schools, where the male areas are left for boys, while feminine duties are left for girls. Women that have attended same-sex schools have the opportunity to explore the fields that have been traditional, male-dominated, and have more confidence in experimenting in these fields and pursue careers like electronic engineering in the future (Dijkstra & Berger, 2018). Female Graduates from same-sex programs are more likely to choose the male-dominated occupations than those in mixed schools since the desire to study in and work in the male-dominated fields stems from the fact that the girl schools did not promote the conventional sex-role attitudes. In same-sex classrooms, stereotypical gender roles are ignored, and the females in this setting do not feel limited based on sex.

Performance is better in same-sex classrooms since women in these settings receive more recognition in terms of awards, the opportunity for leadership positions, scholarships, and accomplishments. In mixed schools, these are the same opportunities that are awarded to males, with females hardly stand a chance. These recognition techniques are a confidence booster for most female students. Increased confidence is directly proportional to academic success and vocational motivation (Abraham & Barker, 2018).

Same-sex learning environments expose girls and boys to their female and male role models. It is likely to find many female teachers in girls' schools, who have succeeded in athletes and class presidents. These role models act as an inspiration to girls, making them recognize their capabilities in being more successful. Female administrators and teachers make their female learners view life from various perspectives and guide them in overcoming the social barriers which exist so unfairly in the contemporary world (Gindi, Kohan-Mass & Pilpel, 2019).

Counter Arguments

Those who are against the argument that the same-sex schools allow learners to perform better suggest that, when it comes to a parent deciding on a school, the best of their focus should be on the quality of a school, and not the sax of individuals in that school (Fabes, Martin, Hanish & DeLay, 2018). They suggest that the right school is proper and that guardians need to choose the most appropriate school for their children and identify that same-sex schools are not the answer. Critics have gone further to ascertain that when a school is all girls, it can lead to gender stereotypes instead of eliminating them, in many ways. Some all-girls schools also are too old fashioned and tend to prepare girls for traditional lifestyles lived by their grandmothers. An equally all-boys school can enhance gender stereotypes and contempt towards girls, and the classrooms in all-boys' schools can be used as means of punishment by teachers or parents, for the boys who are not performing well in a mixed-gender environment. Also, critics suggest that real education is lost when learners are grouped by gender since diverse classrooms ensure a variety of questions, distinct perspectives, and differed interests that add to the excitement of learning. Learners have a lot to contribute to each other, and many students of all ages and sex enjoy learning from each other (Gindi, Kohan-Mass & Pilpel, 2019). The learning experiences that exist in the classroom should be the same as those of real-life experiences to prepare learners for their future roles in being parents, workmates, and homemakers. Many males who lack motivation have been identified to be encouraged by female students. The ultimate purpose of educators needs to be the maximization of learning, other than minimization of distractions. Students perform better when teachers teach better regardless of their gender (Paredes, 2018).

Conclusion

While it is true that learning in same-sex classrooms and blended classrooms has advantages and disadvantages for both boys and girls, the benefits which exist in same-sex classes supersede those for diverse environments. The lack of enough research that determines the impact of same-sex education ad those of different schools have made parents unsure of what method of education is more effective and for whom. By conducting further research, educators and guardians will ensure that education systems decide on what education system is more helpful and the programs that are more productive in public schools. However, enough evidence exists that same-sex classrooms perform better, primarily because most of these schools in the United States are privately owned. Private schools have a long history of performing better than public schools. Aside from the fact that private schools have many resources, the arguments mentioned above, on the benefits of same-sex education have ensured excellent and consistent academic performance. The benefits of same-sex schools have been seen to impact girls more as compared to boys, with these benefits, including; less traditional sex roles, higher self-confidence in male-dominated subjects, and higher academic success. The issue of same-sex learning classrooms will remain a controversial and divided topic, with most views expressed by both critics and supporters on what a perfect education setting is. Before a parent enrolls their child in a school, they should put a lot of consideration into all issues, including gender, and discuss with their kids on their views of what type of education suites them the most.

References

Abraham, J., & Barker, K. (2018). Motivation and Engagement with Physics: a Comparative Study of Females in Single-Sex and Co-educational Classrooms. Research in Science Education, 1-16. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11165-018-9770-3

Dijkstra, J. K., & Berger, C. (2018). Friendship Selection and Influence Processes for Physical Aggression and Prosociality: Differences between Single-Sex and Mixed-Sex Contexts. Sex roles, 78(9-10), 625-636.Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-017-0818-z

Eder, S. J., & Oberzaucher, E. (2019). Getting in Touch-Social status predicts physical interaction in classrooms. Human Ethology, 34(1), 159-172.Retrieved from http://ishe.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/HE_2019_34_159-172.pdf

Fabes, R. A., Martin, C. L., Hanish, L. D., & DeLay, D. (2018). Gender integration in coeducational classrooms: Advancing educational research and practice. School Psychology Quarterly, 33(2), 182. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-26640-001

Gindi, S., Kohan-Mass, J., & Pilpel, A. (2019). Gender Differences in Competition Among Gifted Students: The Role of Single-Sex Versus Co-Ed Classrooms. Roeper Review, 41(3), 199-211. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02783193.2019.1622163Hoelker, J. (2018). SingleSex and MixedSex Classes.