Differential effects of single-sex versus coed education on the mathematical reasoning ability, verbal reasoning ability, and self-concept of highschool girls

Conway, Kevin E.

doi:10.25148/etd.fi14061500

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…For example, in a longitudinal study by Sullivan, Joshi, and Leonard (2010), girls who attended single-sex schools achieved significantly more exam passes than their coeducational counterparts and were more likely to obtain a college degree, but the results were mitigated once school context (e.g., private vs. public) was controlled. These findings counter the results of earlier studies that did not find significant differences in achievement between girls at single-sex schools and their coeducational counterparts (Conway, 1996;Harker & Nash, 1997;Shmurak, 1998).…”

Section: Single-sex Education and Academic Engagementcontrasting

confidence: 98%

The Role of Single-Sex Education in the Academic Engagement of College-Bound Women: A Multilevel Analysis

Sax

Riggers

Eagan

2013

Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education

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Background/Context As opportunities for public and private single-sex education have expanded, the debate surrounding this issue has become more heated. Recent reviews of research on single-sex education have concluded that the evidence is mixed, due in large part to the difficulty of attributing differences between single-sex and coeducational students specifically to the single-sex nature of their experience, as opposed to other differences between single-sex and coeducational schools and their attendees. This study comes at a time of renewed national interest in the value and appropriateness of single-sex education, especially as changes to Title IX have expanded the opportunities to establish single-sex classes and activities, and contributes new data with a focus exclusively on the academic engagement of female students from single-sex and coeducational high schools. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study This study addresses whether levels of academic engagement differ between single-sex and coeducational settings. Research Design The study uses self-reported survey data and multilevel modeling to address secondary school-level effects in a national sample of women entering college. Findings/Results The analyses suggest that attendance at a single-sex high school remains a significant predictor of academic engagement even after controlling for the confounding role of student background characteristics, school-level features, and peer contexts within each school. Specifically, women attending all-girls high schools report higher levels of academic engagement across numerous fronts: studying individually or in groups, interacting with teachers, tutoring other students, and getting involved in student organizations. However, these results may also be attributed to other features that differentiate single-sex from coeducational schools, such as smaller enrollments and racial/ethnic diversity of the schools in this study. Conclusions/Recommendations Although the results of this study support the claims that all-female environments provide a unique opportunity for young women to thrive, these results should be interpreted with some caution. Because of the limitations of the study, it is difficult to make definitive inferences about the relationship between single-sex education and academic engagement, and we cannot assert with confidence that school gender alone is responsible for higher academic engagement. The study points the way for future research that further distinguishes the role of individual and school-level attributes and ideally examines this issue using longitudinal data. Finally, given the current expansion of single-sex education in the public schools, future research ought to employ these methodological advances in studies on single-sex public education and should consider the consequences of single-sex settings for both female and male students.

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Section: Single-sex Education and Academic Engagementcontrasting

confidence: 98%

The Role of Single-Sex Education in the Academic Engagement of College-Bound Women: A Multilevel Analysis

Sax

Riggers

Eagan

2013

Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The second instrument was to measure students' attitude towards problem solving. The researcher adapted the student attitudes' instrument by Charles et al (1987) and Conway (1996). The Cronbach alpha value of 0.75 indicates that the instrument has appropriate internal consistency.…”

Section: Instrumentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Using Graphing Calculator in Problem Solving

Parrot

2018

Int Elect J Math Ed

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The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of graphing calculator on students' problem solving success in solving linear equation problems and their attitude toward problem solving in mathematics. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control and treatment group using the pretest post-test design was employed in this study to test the hypotheses. The sample of the study involved two Form Four classes from one public secondary school in Sarawak, Malaysia. Students in the experimental group received problem solving based instruction using graphing calculator while the control group students underwent the traditional chalk and talk method without the graphing technology. Two instruments were used in this study, namely the Linear Equation Problem Solving Test and the Mathematical Problem Solving Questionnaire. Findings of this study show existence of a significant difference in the mean scores between the two groups; students who used graphing calculator performed better in problem solving tasks compared to students without access to graphing calculator. Furthermore, a questionnaire was used to obtain students' attitude toward problem solving in mathematics. Results from the survey revealed that students who use graphing calculator have a better attitude toward problem solving in mathematics. This study is pertinent as it investigates a different approach in teaching linear equation through problem solving while integrating the latest graphing calculator technology in the lessons.

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“…Other research, however, has not supported the notion that single-sex environments promote women's STEM-related achievement and orientation. For example, Conway (1996) reported no significant differences in mathematics achievement, as measured by SAT scores, when comparing students in Catholic single-sex and coeducational schools. Additionally, Shmurak (1998) reported that girls at coeducational schools actually took more science courses when compared to girls attending single-sex schools.…”

Section: Single-sex Education and Stem Preparationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting Mathematical and Computer Self-Concept Among Female College Students: Is There a Role of Single-Sex Secondary Education?

Sax

Shapiro

Eagan

2011

J Women Minor Scien Eng

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At a time when women remain significantly underrepresented in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in college and in the workforce, it is important to consider how educational environments contribute to women's beliefs about their STEM-related skills and abilities. This study examines how one strategy-single-sex secondary education-correlates with mathematical and computer self-concept among women entering college. The study uses multilevel modeling to address secondary school-level effects in a national sample of college-going women. The analyses suggest that allgirls secondary schools-whether independent or Catholic-affiliated-produce graduates who enter college marginally more confident in their mathematical and computer skills than women from equivalent backgrounds who attend coeducational schools. For the most part, the small predictive power of school gender remains significant even after accounting for the confounding role of student background characteristics, school-level features, and peer contexts within each school. This examination comes at a time of renewed national interest in the value and appropriateness of single-sex education, especially as changes to Title IX have expanded the opportunities to establish single-sex classes and activities.

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Differential effects of single-sex versus coed education on the mathematical reasoning ability, verbal reasoning ability, and self-concept of highschool girls

Cited by 5 publications

References 17 publications

The Role of Single-Sex Education in the Academic Engagement of College-Bound Women: A Multilevel Analysis

The Role of Single-Sex Education in the Academic Engagement of College-Bound Women: A Multilevel Analysis

Impact of Using Graphing Calculator in Problem Solving

Promoting Mathematical and Computer Self-Concept Among Female College Students: Is There a Role of Single-Sex Secondary Education?

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