An Analysis of Single-Sex Education and Co-Education Impacts

This essay examines the influence of single-sex and co-educational schooling on student outcomes. It explores the impact of each type of schooling on academic achievement, psychological development, and social behavior. The essay references several studies to support its claims, including research on gender salience, interaction with the opposite gender, and the development of friendships. It highlights the potential effects of single-sex schools on students' attitudes, the development of stereotypical attitudes, and the nature of friendships. In contrast, the essay also presents research suggesting that the type of school may not significantly affect academic knowledge, but that co-educational schools may foster a better balance in friendships. Ultimately, the essay concludes that the type of schooling has a significant influence on students' overall development, affecting both their academic and social achievements.

Running head: INFLUENCE OF SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION AND CO-EDUCATION
INFLUENCE OF SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION AND CO-EDUCATION ON STUDENT
OUTCOMES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1INFLUENCE OF SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION AND CO-EDUCATION
Introduction
The multitudes of the educational institutions that have been present in the international
markets might be divided on the basis of the schooling type. The single-sex schooling refers to
the schooling type wherein the students of the school belong to the same gender. On the other
hand, the co-education schooling refers to the schooling type wherein the students belong to both
the genders (Garcia-Gracia & Donoso Vázquez, 2016). The following essay attempts a
comparison between the two types of schooling in terms of academic achievement,
psychological development and social behavior as demonstrated by the students.
Psychological development
Firstly, Wong, Shi and Chen (2018) opine that the most evident and the institutionalized
form of segregation in the matters related to the genders refer to the segregation in the schools.
There are observed a number of schools that maintain the concept of single-sex schooling. This
practice is observed to have a huge influence on the overall development of the students in terms
of the psychosocial factors. Pahlke, Hyde and Allison (2014) puts forth the fact that the single-
sex schooling tends to have a huge effect on the various issues that are related to the gender
salience among the concerned individuals, the reduction in the opportunities of the interactions
as are maintained among the concerned individuals. The experts further suggest that the single-
sex schooling might further lead to the development of the anxiety as is expressed by the
students in terms of interacting with the members of the opposite gender. Prendergast and
O’Donoghue (2014), however, state that the students who have been subjected to the single-sex
schooling tend to face a greater amount of issues in maintaining a proper interaction with the
members of the opposite gender. They further face issues in the understanding and the practices
of the gender salience in the due course of life as well as develops the anxiety in the matters that

2INFLUENCE OF SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION AND CO-EDUCATION
are related to the mixed-gender interactions among the students as well. This in turn, affects the
overall development of the student in terms of the social as well as the academic achievements as
need to be maintained by the student in his future days.
Academic Achievement
Secondly, Prendergast and O’Donoghue (2014) opine that the type of the schools that are
attended by the students tend not to affect the knowledge that they gain from the concerned
educational institution. The experts generally opine that the education of the child as well as the
overall development of the child should not be hampered by the gender of the child or even the
type of the schools that they attend since their childhood. The views of Prendergast and
O’Donoghue (2014) were further seconded by the researches that were undertaken by Park,
Behrman and Choi (2018). The studies further suggested that though it is not acceptable that the
type of the schools or the gender of the student would affect the education of the student, yet it
is observed that the male student are generally more interested in the subjects that are related to
the streams of science, technology, mathematics and engineering. Li and Wong (2018) further
explore on the fact that the female students in case of the co-education schools tend to
demonstrate a lower amount of attraction to the subjects related to mathematics or science as
compared to the male students. The experts like Wong, Shi and Chen (2018) on the other hand
argues that the male students at the single-sex schools tend to demonstrate a greater amount of
interest in the streams of science, technology, mathematics and engineering.
Social Behavior
Thirdly, the researches by Pahlke, Hyde and Allison (2014) state that the schooling type
as is maintained by the students tend to have a long-lasting effect on the attitudes and the

3INFLUENCE OF SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION AND CO-EDUCATION
mentality of the concerned child. The students of the single-sex schools tend to develop
stereotypical attitudes towards the members of the opposite gender. This might further lead to the
impairment and issues in the interactions that are maintained by the concerned students in the
mixed-gender environments. The researches by Li and Wong (2018) further suggest that the
students who have been studying at the single-sex schools tend to demonstrate deeper friendships
among the people of the same gender which is generally not so prominent in cases of the
students who have been studying in the co-educational schools. Park, Behrman and Choi (2018)
on the contrary opines that the students at the co-educational schools tend to demonstrate a
proper balance in the friendship that they maintain with those belonging to the opposite genders.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it might be stated that the type of schooling has huge influence on the
academic achievement, psychological development and social behavior as demonstrated by the
students. The schooling further affects the overall development of the student in terms of the
social as well as the academic achievements as need to be maintained by the student in his future
days.

4INFLUENCE OF SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION AND CO-EDUCATION
References
Garcia-Gracia, M., & Donoso Vázquez, T. (2016). Mixed schools versus single-sex schools: are
there differences in the academic results for boys and girls in Catalonia?. International
journal of inclusive education, 20(2), 149-167.
Li, G., & Wong, W. I. (2018). Single-sex schooling: Friendships, dating, and sexual
orientation. Archives of sexual behavior, 47(4), 1025-1039.
Pahlke, E., Hyde, J. S., & Allison, C. M. (2014). The effects of single-sex compared with
coeducational schooling on students’ performance and attitudes: A meta-
analysis. Psychological bulletin, 140(4), 1042.
Park, H., Behrman, J. R., & Choi, J. (2018). Do single-sex schools enhance students’ STEM
(science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) outcomes?. Economics of Education
Review, 62, 35-47.
Prendergast, M., & O’Donoghue, J. (2014). Influence of gender, single-sex and co-educational
schooling on students’ enjoyment and achievement in mathematics. International
Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 45(8), 1115-1130.
Wong, W. I., Shi, S. Y., & Chen, Z. (2018). Students from single-sex schools are more gender-
salient and more anxious in mixed-gender situations: Results from high school and
college samples. PloS one, 13(12), e0208707.