1 Psychology 320: Gender Psychology Lecture 44

2 Invitational Office Hour Invitations, by Student Number for February 4 th 11:30-12:30, 3:30-4:30 Kenny

3 Education: 1. What factors contribute to sex differences in educational attainment? 2. Are there advantages associated with same-sex schooling?

4 By the end of today’s class, you should be able to: 1. identify factors that may account for sex differences in educational attainment. 2. consider the benefits of same-sex vs. mixed-sex schooling.

5 What factors contribute to sex differences in educational attainment? Among the factors that advocates of the “boy crisis” have implicated in the relatively low educational attainment of males are the following:  The relatively large number of programs designed to improve the academic performance of females as opposed to males.  The preponderance of female teachers, particularly in early-education settings.

6  Gender role expectations that foster better “student” skills (e.g., delay of gratification) among girls than boys. For both sexes, femininity is strongly correlated with GPA across subjects (e.g., langauge arts, math, science, social studies)

7  School environments that punish characteristics associated with the male gender role. More boys than girls receive referrals to special education services:

8 Percent Boys Teacher referral to learning disabled program (Mirkin, 1982)80 Diagnosed with attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Berry, 1985) Learning-disabled students (Lerner, 1993)72 Enrolled in learning-disabled program (K-12; Mellard & Byrne, 1993)75 Teacher referral to learning disabled program (Flynn & Rahbar, 1994)66 Diagnosed with reading disorder (APA, 1995)60-80 “Eligible for special education” (Skarbrevik, 2002)70 Enrollment in special education classes (Benjamin, 2003)60-70 Percent of Students Described as Needing Special Education Services Across Diverse Studies

9  Inadequate attention to gender inequity in teacher training.  Declining confidence in academic aptitude, interest in academic achievement, and engagement in school activities across time:

10 MalesFemales % Most or All of the Time: I got along well with teachers I did as little work as possible; I just wanted to get by I paid attention to the teacher I was interested in what I was learning in class I felt like an outsider or like I was left out of things at school I completed my homework on time % Agree or Strongly Agree: I thought that many of the things we were learning in class were useless I was treated with as much respect as other students in my class I had friends at school whom I could talk to about personal things I liked to participate in many school activities, for example clubs, sports, drama School was often a waste of time People at school were interested in what I had to say % 3 hours or Fewer: How many hours each week did you spend on homework outside class, during free periods and at home? Indicators of High School Engagement (Statistics Canada, 2004)

11 Percent of High School Seniors in School-Related Activities by Sex (Institute for Social Research, 2001)

12 Are there advantages associated with same-sex schooling? Given sex discrepancies in school performance and the prevalence of sexual harassment in schools, many researchers, theorists and policy makers advocate for the implementation of single-sex schools. A recent review conducted by the US Department of Education (2005) suggests that single-sex schools (SS) offer some benefits over mixed-sex schools (MS). The primary findings of the review include the following:

13 Outcome VariableFindings of Review General and subject-specific achievement testsSS > MS Meritorious scholarships attainedInsufficient data College GPAInsufficient data College graduation ratesSS = MS Post-secondary test scores (e.g., GRE, MCAT, LSAT)SS = MS Graduate school attendance ratesSS = MS Postgraduate licensure tests scoresInsufficient data Outcomes Variables for Single-Sex vs. Mixed-Sex Schools: Academic Achievement (US Department of Education, 2005)

14 Outcome VariableFindings of Review BullyingInsufficient data DelinquencyMS > SS High school drop outMS > SS Eating disordersSS > MS (females only; no data for males) Teenage pregnancyInsufficient data Self-esteemMS > SS (males only; SS = MS for females) Locus of controlSS > MS Educational and career aspirationsSS > MS Participation in school-related activitiesSS > MS Selection of non-traditional college majorSS > MS (females only; no data for males) Political activismSS > MS (females only; no data for males) Post-secondary unemploymentMS > SS Outcomes Variables for Single-Sex vs. Mixed-Sex Schools: Adaptation and Socioemotional Adjustment (US Department of Education, 2005)

15 Outcome VariableFindings of Review Leadership opportunitiesSS > MS Value placed on leadership and gradesSS > MS Student satisfactionMS > SS (high school), SS > MS (college) Parent satisfactionInsufficient data Teacher satisfactionInsufficient data Outcomes Variables for Single-Sex vs. Mixed-Sex Schools: School Climate or Culture (US Department of Education, 2005)

16 Education: 1. What factors contribute to sex differences in educational attainment? 2. Are there advantages associated with same-sex schooling?