Ever wondered how much more productive students would be if classrooms were single-sex only? The mingling of boys and girls in a classroom setting can directly affect how each gender processes and learns new information. Author’s Peggy Orenstein and Karen Stabiner, discuss two different learning environments for students, specifically co-ed and single-sex classrooms. Through their research they were able to explain the effects such classroom settings have on both boys and girls. The two author’s share similar beliefs why they feel single-sex classroom settings are more beneficial to a female student’s overall education. For female students they are able to focus without the disruptive behavior of boys, they have less power struggles, and they
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In Orenstein’s, The Daily Grind: Lessons in the Hidden Curriculum, she illustrates how the aggressive behavior of boys negatively affects the participation of girls within the classroom setting. She uses the example of Allison, a student in the class who tries to get the teachers attention by raising her hand, but is overlooked because one of the boys, Kyle, speaks over her. Orenstein states, “Allison waits patiently for another moment, then, realizing she’s not getting results, puts her hand down.” (Orenstein, 98) This example demonstrates the female student’s intimidation from being overshadowed by the male student. Another example of this, is a female student named Dawn, who is asked to answer a question by the teacher, but is cut off mid-sentence by Kyle. “Do you know, Dawn?...Dawn hesitates, and begins…but I know! interrupts Kyle.” (Orenstein, 99) Due to the student’s interruption, the teacher goes on and lets the male student answer over Dawn, causing her to refrain from finishing her sentence. In comparison, Stabiner’s, Boys Here, Girls There: Sure, if Equality's the Goal, points out that by having single-sex school’s girls would have more opportunities to speak up without the intimidation of male students. It is important that each student gets a fair opportunity to participate in class work to get the most out of the learning environment, but sometime this is difficult when there is a power struggle between male and female
In Orenstein’s, The Daily Grind: Lessons in the Hidden Curriculum, she illustrates how the aggressive behavior of boys negatively affects the participation of girls within the classroom setting. She uses the example of Allison, a student in the class who tries to get the teachers attention by raising her hand, but is overlooked because one of the boys, Kyle, speaks over her. Orenstein states, “Allison waits patiently for another moment, then, realizing she’s not getting results, puts her hand down.” (Orenstein, 98) This example demonstrates the female student’s intimidation from being overshadowed by the male student. Another example of this, is a female student named Dawn, who is asked to answer a question by the teacher, but is cut off mid-sentence by Kyle. “Do you know, Dawn?...Dawn hesitates, and begins…but I know! interrupts Kyle.” (Orenstein, 99) Due to the student’s interruption, the teacher goes on and lets the male student answer over Dawn, causing her to refrain from finishing her sentence. In comparison, Stabiner’s, Boys Here, Girls There: Sure, if Equality's the Goal, points out that by having single-sex school’s girls would have more opportunities to speak up without the intimidation of male students. It is important that each student gets a fair opportunity to participate in class work to get the most out of the learning environment, but sometime this is difficult when there is a power struggle between male and female