Same-sex schools have dealt with controversy since their inception. At Stern, we have the advantage of being in an all women’s institution. Some may argue, however, that this is not in fact an “advantage.”
Many of the arguments circulate around the discussion of whether being in a same-sex environment promotes or disrupts academic achievement. A study conducted in Seoul, South Korea examined this exact issue. In Seoul, students are randomly assigned either to single-sex or co-ed high schools. The results were collected after their 4-year high school curriculum, and the data was quite astounding. The analyses showed that attending a same-sex school was associated with higher average scores on Korean and English test scores. Compared with co-educational schools, single-sex schools have a higher percentage of graduates who moved on to four-year colleges.
Another study performed showed that girls’ knowledge of physics increased when they were in an institution with only girls, versus a co-ed environment. The researchers, Bettina Hannover and Ursula Kessels, randomly assigned 8th-graders either to single-gender physics class or to coed physics class, for the duration of one school year. At the end of the year, the girls who had been randomly assigned to the all-girls classroom were more adept in physics. These girls were also less likely to succumb to the stereotype that “physics is for boys.” As opposed to the girls found in the co-ed environment, which were less successful in physics and were also more susceptible to the belief that physics is a male science.
However, the studies do not end here. Researchers at Stetson University in Florida completed a three-year pilot project comparing single-sex classrooms with coed classrooms at Woodward Avenue Elementary School, a nearby neighborhood public school. Students in the 4th grade at Woodward were assigned either to single-sex or coed classrooms. All relevant parameters were matched; the teachers were the same, the class sizes were similar, and all other factors were identical. The researchers compared the results scored on the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test), between both the same-sex class and the coed class. The results were the following: boys in coed classes: 37% scored proficient and girls in coed classes, 59% scored proficient. As opposed to the co-ed classes, girls in single-sex classes: 75% scored proficient and boys in single-sex classes, 86% scored proficient.
Interestingly, some of the effects of being educated in a co-ed environment are not readily proven in a simple test score. It’s been noted that girls and boys in single gender schools tend to explore their interests beyond any gender stereotypes. A British researcher compared the attitudes of 13 and 14 year-old pupils toward different subjects. Students at co-ed schools tended to have gender-typical subject preferences: boys at co-ed schools liked math and science and geared away from drama or languages. However, boys at single-sex schools were more interested in drama, biology and languages. And, as somewhat expected, girls at girls-only schools were more interested in math and science than girls at co-ed schools.
At the same time, definitive scientific evidence shows that there are actual anatomical differences between the male and female brains which may account for differences in academic performance and preferences. In 2001, researchers from Harvard found that certain parts of the brain were different sizes in males and females. Parts of the frontal lobe, responsible for problem-solving and decision-making, and the limbic cortex, responsible for modulating emotions, were larger in women. In men, the parietal cortex, which is the center for spatial reasoning, and the amygdala, which regulates social behavior, was larger. Men also have about 6.5 times more gray matter in the brain than women, while women have about 10 times more white matter than men. These dissimilarities may account for differences in how men and women think. Men seem to think with their gray matter, which is full of active neurons. Women think with the white matter, which consists more of connections between the neurons, allowing for a woman’s brain to work faster than a man’s.
Aside from the differences in anatomical structure between the male and female brain, the brains of the two genders are wired differently which could explain the stereotypical differences in male and female behavior. Researchers found that many of the connections in a male brain run between the front and the back of the same side of the brain. In women, the connections to run from side to side between the left and right hemispheres. Researchers believe the physical differences between the two sexes in the way the brain is hardwired could play an important role in understanding why men are in general better at spatial tasks involving muscle control while women are better at verbal tasks involving memory and intuition. “These maps show us a stark difference – and complementarity – in the architecture of the human brain that helps to provide a potential neural basis as to why men excel at certain tasks, and women at others,” said Ragini Verma, professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Even with these biological differences between male and female brains in mind, differences in educational environment definitely stress or diminish the “natural” intellectual functions in the academic setting. To further prove that single-sex environment correlates with a reduction of any gender-associated stereotype, in 2003, there was a study conducted in the University of Virginia. They found that boys who attended single-sex schools were more than twice as likely to pursue interests in subjects such as art, music, drama, and foreign languages, compared to boys who attended coed schools.
It seems that the bottom line is clear: single-sex schools break down gender stereotypes, while co-ed schools reinforce them. However, as a Stern College student, I wonder if the gender stereotypes and lower academic achievement that exist in co-ed high schools are present in colleges. This proves difficult since it is illegal to study genders in schools in the U.S. Even outside of the U.S., the only studies conducted were primarily on elementary-aged students.
I decided to broach the subject with YU undergraduates to see how they felt. Mordechai Smith ‘14, Biology major and Public Health minor, said, “Some girls and guys will find co-ed classrooms distracting. Some girls may feel like they have to be stupid to get guys to like them… Others, though, just won’t care and will do well in school either way. In either case, it’s important to develop co-ed social skills before entering the workplace.” Smith adds , “While being in a single-sex institution like YU and Stern may have its advantages (like avoiding getting matched up with the girl three seats to your left and you didn’t realize until you already agreed to a date), I do believe that students should involve themselves in co-ed environments.”
As Smith stated, it would seem that there is a definite place for co-ed settings – but it may not be the classroom.
Next, I was interested in finding out a Stern girl’s perspective
Tova Kutner 14’, Biology major at Stern, states, “I truly love the environment that an all-female university has to offer. From academics to social life, I feel like I have gained a tremendous amount. I don’t think I am missing out on anything.” I then ask Tova if she feels that being around only girls helps her academically and she does not hesitate to respond: “Yes, definitely. Fewer distractions. I am able to focus more on my academics.” As stated by Mordechai and Tova, It would seem that both genders appreciate the same-gender college experience that YU has to offer.
I then presented the subject to Leeora Weisenberg, a Queens College junior who is majoring in Media Studies, with a Business and Liberal Arts minor. She states, “Obviously there is that sense of ‘oh…there are boys around’…but then you get used to it. I do not feel that it affects my studies. And honestly, that is how the real world is…” I agree with Leeora; as she also correctly points out that all graduate schools as well as any professional career will, in fact, involve the presence of both genders.
So, Stern students: as you whip your wavy locks into a high bun, do realize that we in fact have the advantage of being in an academic environment with only girls. The aforementioned studies, as well as a plethora of others, all indicate that there is a definite correlation, (especially among girls) between a higher academic performance and a same-sex learning environment. At the same time, no direct causation exists and gender studies have thus far not been explicitly explored in the college setting.