The effects of single-gender classes on male and female students' academic achievement, number of office referrals, and percentage of daily attendance in an urban elementary school

Sharon Stadaker-Ervin, Tennessee State University

Abstract

In an effort to improve student achievement for fourth grade students in an urban school, which is located in a large urban district in the state of Tennessee, the participating school implemented fourth grade single gender male and female classes. The purpose of this study was to assess the student outcomes of single-gender education in a group of fourth grade students taught in single gender classes (treatment group) compared to a group of their peers from coeducational classes (control group). The outcomes of Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics achievement, number of office referrals, and percentage of daily attendance were compared between students receiving instruction in a single-gender class and students receiving instruction in a coeducational class. Participants were purposely selected from the participating urban elementary school that had implemented single-gender classes. The sample consisted of 74 fourth grade students who received instruction in a single gender class or a coeducational class. Independent samples t-tests were used to compare the means of students receiving instruction in single-gender classes to the means of students receiving instruction in coeducational classes for math achievement for males and females and differences in percentage of attendance for females. Mann-Whitney non-parametric tests were used to compare the means of students receiving instruction in single-gender classes to the means of students receiving instruction in coeducational classes for differences in Reading/Language Arts achievement for males and females, percentage of attendance for males, and the number of office referrals for males. All inferential tests were compared against the standard probability level (p) of .05. Of the eight null hypotheses that were investigated, there was a statistically significant difference in the outcome of Reading/Language Arts achievement between male students receiving instruction in a single-gender class and male students receiving instruction in a coeducational class. Based upon the findings of their research, further research is needed to determine what elements of single-gender classes contribute to the outcome of Reading/Language Arts achievement for boys receiving instruction in single-gender classes.

Subject Area

School administration

Recommended Citation

Sharon Stadaker-Ervin, "The effects of single-gender classes on male and female students' academic achievement, number of office referrals, and percentage of daily attendance in an urban elementary school" (2014). ETD Collection for Tennessee State University. Paper AAI3641780.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3641780

Share

COinS