ERIC Number: EJ740740
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Sep
Pages: 14
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-5698
EISSN: N/A
Teachers' Experiences of a Single-Sex Initiative in a Co-Education School
Gray, Colette; Wilson, Joanne
Educational Studies, v32 n3 p285-298 Sep 2006
Argued to "raise boys' grades" and "boost boys' academic achievement", single-sex classes in coeducation schools is one strategy among a plethora aimed at raising standards. This paper explores the experiences of teachers in one coeducation post-primary school that sought to raise academic performance, particularly among boys, and to improve classroom behaviour by introducing single-sex classes. Funded by a local Education and Library Board the evaluation took place almost four years after the strategy was introduced and in a climate of increasing teacher concern with the effectiveness of the strategy. The methods involved a questionnaire survey to all teachers in the school and one-to-one and small group interviews with teachers responsible for teaching single-sex classes. Contrary to its stated aims, the majority of teachers believe that, since the introduction of single-sex classes, academic performance and classroom behaviour have deteriorated. Findings are discussed in terms of teachers' perceptions of the strategy and the importance organizational and contextual factors have on shaping teachers' attitudes to new initiatives. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Program Effectiveness, Secondary Education, Males, Coeducation, Academic Achievement, Teaching Experience, Single Sex Classes, Teacher Surveys, Interviews, Teacher Attitudes, Underachievement, Student Behavior, Classroom Environment, Foreign Countries
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street, Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940. Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/default.html.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A