Teacher Practical Guidance:

Single Gender Schools

Category: External

Rank Order

78

Effect Size

0.16

Achievement Gain %

6

How-To Strategies

How-To Resources

References

Kahlke, E., et al (2014). The effects of single-sex compared with coeducational schooling on students’ performance and attitudes: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, American Psychological Association, 140(4). 1042 Link

 

Pahlke, Hyde & Allison. (2014). The effects of single-sex compared with coeducational schooling on students’ performance and attitudes: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin.

Single Gender Schools

DEFINITION

DATA

  • 2 Meta Analysis reviews

  • 205 Research studies

  • 1.6 Million students in research

  • 3 Confidence level. Hattie (2023) p. 155

 

QUOTES

 

“Based on controlled studies, there are only trivial differences between students in single-sex and co-ed schools.” Kahlke (2014)

 

 

There are key issues with single-sex vs. coeducational schools research. In single-sex schools there is the “prior selection effect.” Typical studies of single-sex schools reported that enrolling students entered with higher national assessment scores, take more academically rigorous classes, and gain university entrance at higher rates. This skews the data.  When taken into account, Kahlke’s (2014) meta-analysis shows minor differences between single-sex and coeducational school student performance. Hattie (2023)