Single-sex classrooms are uncommon in the United States because they are classrooms full of students of the same sex, but they are very beneficial.
Dixie State University should experiment with single-sex classrooms to add diversity and accommodate different learning styles.
There are only three four-year male same-sex colleges in the United States. One of the three, Hampden-Sydney College, has a graduation rate of 11 % higher than the national average for men.
That’s only one same-sex college where the graduation rate beats the national average. Imagine if the United States implemented more of these colleges and how a new way of learning calls for more success.
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Myra Sadker and David Sadker, American University professors, conducted an experiment in single-sex education that was conducted under a three-year study and included more than 100 different elementary classrooms.
The experiment results were published in Failing in Fairness: How America’s Schools Cheat Girls. The results were meant to shed light on how differently boys and girls were treated by teachers in a mixed-gender, elementary-level classroom.
It showed that boys vocally expressed answers more than girls did. Boys shouted out answers eight times more than girls did and even received more praise and vocal rewards for correct answers than girls who usually got “nods” for correct answers.
With female brains maturing more rapidly, learning and comprehension in class can be distracting with other sexes that may not be as mature, and in same-sex schools, females tend to focus more on academics.
singlesexschools.org
Girls were more likely to get help on problems they didn’t understand, while boys were more likely to be encouraged to solve problems on their own.
These results were conducted on elementary school students; however, the results show to be the same for college students.
Scientific studies show female brains mature faster than male brains. The same organizational structures that begin maturing in females at around age 10 don’t start maturing in men until age 20 according to an article in the Telegraph.
With female brains maturing more rapidly, learning and comprehension in class can be distracting with other sexes that may not be as mature, and in same-sex schools, females tend to focus more on academics, according to singlesexschools.org
The difference in maturity levels in college single-sex students could be very beneficial to both males and females to aid their learning styles and brain maturation.
In same-sex colleges, women are more likely to improve their academic confidence and women who show interest and passion in male-dominated fields such as engineering, mechanics and science are more comfortable and capable of their learning abilities, according to College Raptor.
Women shouldn’t be afraid to express interest in hobbies, no matter the stereotypes; however, studies show “female students do as well or better than male students in school — but often point to the hegemonic masculine culture of engineering itself as a reason for leaving,” according to Harvard Business Review.
Same-sex colleges have also shown evidence of women empowering themselves and others by having all-female faculty, administrators and college presidents who encourage women to support each other instead of competing.
You can advocate for single-sex schools by using your voice at DSU and spreading the idea of single-sex classrooms and the benefits of its diversity and different learning style.
With only 34 active women’s same-sex colleges in the United States, these classes could be a game-changer for DSU and the way we learn and gain careers that could benefit students.
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