Navigating the muddy waters of the research into single sex classrooms in co-educational middle years settings

Establishing single sex classes within co-educational sites is an option that Australian schools are again exploring. To date Australia has experienced three ‘waves’ of interest in establishing single sex classes, the first focused on equitable education opportunities for girls (Alloway & Gilbert, 1997), the second centered on boys’ literacy and engagement (Gilbert & Gilbert, 1998) and this current wave focuses on perceived difference between the sexes in co-educational classrooms (Protheroe, 2009; Gurian, Stevens & Daniels, 2009). With the intersection of middle schooling movement, focusing on learner centered classrooms (Pendergast & Bahr, 2010) and current educational agendas aimed at improving student performance and measurable learning outcomes (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, 2008), it is understandable that schools are exploring such student grouping options. However, after thirty years of international research into the efficacy of single sex classes in co-educational settings, the results still remain unclear. This paper seeks to navigate the ‘muddy waters’ of this body of research and suggests a framework to help guide school communities through the decision-making process associated with considering single sex classes

The curriculum problems of the elementary school teacher within the classroom in four Massachusetts communities.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Navigating the muddy waters of the research into single sex class-rooms in co-educational middle years settings.

Establishing single sex classes within co-educational sites is an option that schools are again exploring. To date Australia has experienced three waves of interest in establishing single sex classes, the first focused on equitable education opportunities for girls, the second centered on boys' literacy and engagement and this current wave focuses on perceived difference between the sexes in co-educational classrooms. With the intersection of middle schooling movement, focusing on learner centered classrooms and current educational agendas aimed at improving student performance and measurable learning outcomes, it is understandable that schools are exploring such student grouping options. However, after thirty years of international research into the efficacy of single sex classes in co-educational settings, the results still remain unclear. This paper navigates the 'muddy waters' of this body of research and suggests a framework to help guide school communities through the decision-making process associated with considering single sex classes

Curriculum architecture - a literature review

The analysis of almost 400 abstracts, articles, books from academic sources, policy documents and the educational press has been undertaken to attempt to illuminate the concept of Curriculum Architecture. The phrase itself is not current in the Scottish educational discourse. This review has attempted to look at the international research literature, available over the past ten years or so, on the sub-themes identified in the SEED specification

From Expectations to Experiences: Using a Structural Typology to Understand First-Year Student Outcomes in Academically Based Living-Learning Communities

This longitudinal study investigated to what extent noncognitive variables (e.g., expectations for college) and the college environment (i.e., academically based living-learning communities) influence students\u27 college experience. This research goes beyond grouping all living-learning students into one category, which has dominated much of the literature, by using an empirically derived structural typology for living-learning communities (Inkelas, Longerbeam, Leonard, & Soldner, 2005). Results suggest that being a student in a collaborative living-learning community is more likely to predict greater peer academic interactions and an enriching educational environment. Implications for practice and future research are discussed

A survey of teacher feeling in selected areas concerned with evaluation of teacher service to children

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Review of research in primary reading at Boston University: 1954-1959.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Tracking and mixed-ability grouping in secondary school mathematics classrooms: a case study

This paper reports the findings of a retrospective study of ‘tracked’ grouping in a mathematics department in a co-educational comprehensive school in Greater London. Tracking consisted here of just two tracks, a 'fast track' for the top 25-30% of a cohort, and 'mixed tracks' for the remainder. The paper outlines the reasons for introducing tracking and explores the effects of this through analysis of interviews with teachers and data on the progress of students from age 14 to age 16. The teachers reported that tracking impacted differently on different students, and this is borne out by the quantitative data. It was not possible to provide for ‘setting’ across all the mathematics classrooms in the focal cohort, and one mixedability class was created. The use of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models shows that fast-track students were not significantly advantaged by their placement in these tracks, but the progress of students in the mixed-ability group showed a significant interaction between progress and prior attainment, with placement in the mixed-ability group conferring a significant advantage on lower-attaining students, while the disadvantage to higher attaining students was much smaller

A comparative study of educational administration in Jamaica and in the United States of America.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit