In Urban Education - Research Paper Example

Action Research in the Action Research in Urban Education Institution’s name Introduction The choice of one’s education determines the individuals’ career and potential to find sound financial grounds. In case of college individuals the choice of major and performance in college helps to approximately determine their position in terms of education, career opportunities and employment. However, the choice of one’s and the ability to perform is never random. Both psychological as well as sociological determinants are known to have an impacts when it comes to determining a person’s choice to study a subject matter and perform well in college. In most cases, gender differences have been noticed when it comes to selection of particular subjects of study and overall college performance as well. In this paper, I would like to achieve an understanding of both sociological and psychological effects that single sex schools have on a student’s preference of certain major over others and also the impact that it may have on one’s personal development and ability to perform well in college and subsequently perform well in life. Single Sex Schools In the past few decades the interest in single sex education in both private and government schools has risen drastically. In fact the trend is the same in most countries including U.S, Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain. This has been attributed to underachievement of students and the practice of taking up gender-stereotypes subjects for study (Smyth, 2010). An individuals’ life choices is often based on his schooling and school attainment. This is simply because the quality of education at the school level plays a pivotal role in shaping a persons’ cognitive and behavioural aspects. Schooling and schooling atmosphere has broader implications on a student’s future choices and ability to perform in a much demanding college environment. Our education system regards single sex schools or sex segregated classes as an antidote to the inequality present among the genders. Single sex schools have been looked upon as an attempt to influence school attainment (Lee and Marks, 1992). From a more personal perspective I believe that the existence of the debate about the affect that single schools may have on education and career choice is very much vindicated. There exists both pros and cons when it comes to single sex schooling and co-educational schooling. In fact, the effect of such schooling is known to have more impacts on female students than on their male counterparts. Therefore, we one may say that the schooling system potentially impacts a female student’s life and life choices more than it affects the male students. Single Sex Schooling and Choice of Major Individuals hailing from different schooling atmospheres show remarkable difference in their characteristics and behaviour both in terms of college education and college performance. One such major impact is seen when a transition takes places from school life to college life. The choice of major in college is one of the most crucial and important choices of ones career since it determines the student’s potential value in the job market. However it is not only the value that is determined, but also a student’s potential to adjust to college life and perform well in college. Gender identities are created differently among pupils studying n single sex and co-educational institutions. Single-sex schools encourage less traditional attitudes towards sex-role. On the basis of this, male and female students are known to take up different subjects for study. Female students who pass out of single-sex schools tend to take up courses based on individual’s choices or grades. It has often been seen that such females also enter unconventional areas and can take up unconventional subjects for study in college and this is because gender serotyping of subjects does not exist in single sex school systems. However, when co-educational females transition from school into college, they tend to choose more gender-stereotyped subjects. In education, most subjects are gender-stereotypes. For example while Maths and physics may seem like subjects for the males, female students can take up “feminish” subjects such as sociology or psychology. Thus, it has been seen that females from coeducational systems avoid taking up male-stereotyped subjects such as maths and physics (Smyth, 2010). This is particularly because, in single sex schools female students compete among themselves and are not exposed to subject performance based on gender. Their performance simply highlights their potential and intelligence. However, in co-educational schools when subject wise difference in performance is noticed, students also feel that other than intelligence, gender also plays a role since in most schools boys are known to perform better in maths and technology while their female classmates maybe better in language or literature. The difference exists not only between males and females but also exists between males from single sex schools and those from coeducational schools. Just like females from single sex schools who may take up majors such as physics or astronomy, males hailing from only-boys schools also show a tendency to take up major sin college irrespective of the gender stereotyping (Karpiak et al, 2007). Additionally, such males, i.e. males from single sex schools also enter non-traditional courses. Role of Single sex schooling and Emotional development Our choices are not the sole determinants of our future and development. There exists several characteristics including self-esteem, confidence, attitude, career motivation and determination that contributes to our holistic growth. For a college student, each of these characteristics is extremely crucial to help set goals and make achievement in college in terms of education and performance. Research has established that the schooling system i.e. single sex schooling or co-educational schooling has a great influence on such attributes and contributes significantly to a student’s overall performance even in college. Self-confidence and self-esteem affects one’s achievements. This is because the existence of confidence gives a person the strength to set a goal and achieve it. Gender dynamics in the classroom has a considerable impact on the student’s self-esteem and confidence and this impact is far more pronounced in the females than in the male. In a study conducted by Streitmatter in 2002, it was found that girls in a single sex school had an increase sense of ownership when compared to females in co-educational schools. This is because, in a gender-based heterogeneous class, girls feel dominated by boys. In single sex schools girls find the liberty to perform irrespective of any fear that they might extract from their classmates but in case of co-educational schools, girls often fail to perform well since they are afraid of underperforming in class. This sense of everlasting scrutiny degrades their self-esteem and confidence. A continuous low level of self-confidence to perform in school is also transitioned into college performance as well. Previously, we had discussed the tendency of students from single sex schools to take up hard and unconventional subjects as their majors when they enter college. One of the reasons held responsible for this was self-confidence and self-reliance. Students from such schools do not have traditional notions and are freer to exercise their own individual choices regardless of the unforeseen results. The confidence that they have built up helps them take a decision and stick to it. In a study, conducted among students of single sex schools and co-educational schools, a comparison of characters was derived. It as seen that students from single sex schools were more confident, outgoing, social, self-reliant, self-assured, discipline while those from co-educational schools were unhappy, frustrated, shy, dependent, serious, group-dependent and not obedient (Malik, 2013). This empirical research establishes the fact that schooling has the ability to shape a person’s behvioral features and thinking patterns. To perform well in college intelligence and perseverance are not the sole strengths. A successful student also need a positive attitude to begin with and the development of such positivity towards one’s own self and towards life has been one of the main attributes affected by single-sex classes or schools. Students who have emotionally matured in co-educational systems do not have the same sense of self-reliance and confidence that is seen among those from single sex school. Conclusion It is evident that a person’s schooling background has major impacts on the person’s career choices, life choices and achievements. Furthermore, schooling also shapes a person’s cognition, behaviour and encourages growth. Research has recorded the existence of difference between choice selection or preferences between students from single sex schools and those from co-educational institutions. The effect is found to be more pronounced among female students than the males even though some differences has also been established between the male students as well. One of the major differences lies in the choice and selection of subjects when student transition from school to college. The choice of the major is one of the most important decision that a student makes at the very beginning of one’s career. Schooling has been known to have a great impact on an individual’s choice of taking up different majors in college. While among females from single sex schools, the choice of taking up subjects depends on decision, free-will, intelligence and grades, for a female from co-educational school the choice is strongly influenced by the stereotypical notions that are embedded in their thoughts from their school days. Additionally, the type of school one hails from also affects ones emotional maturity and affects one overall growth such that single-sex school pupils shows more courage, free-will and determination than their co-educational counterparts. This also has an effects on the subjects or activities that one may wish to take up during college. The courage and determination to take up unconventional subjects such as drama or music in college is also affected by this. The holistic growth which is again influenced by the education system, shapes a student’s potential and will to perform better. Thus, we can conclude that students hailing from single sex schools may not have experiences real-life society while in school but they have the added advantage of developing greater self-confidence and determination which helps them overcome social barriers when they enter college. Also, such students owing to the freedom of choice that they exercised in school helps them take up gender neutral subjects and cope and perform much better than the students from co-educational institutions. REFERENCES Lee, V. E., & Marks, H. M. (1992). Who goes where? Choice of single-sex and coeducational independent secondary schools. Sociology of Education, 65, 225-253. Karpiak, C.P. et al .(2007). Differential Effects of Single Sex versus Coed Education on the Personality Development of Primary School Students, Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 281-289. Malik,R. (2013). Differential Effects of Single Sex versus Coed Education on the Personality Development of Primary School Students. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 33 (1), 149-162. Smyth, E. (201). Single Sex Education: What does Research Tell us? Revue française de pédagogie,177, 47-55. Streitmatter, J. (2002). Perceptions of a single-sex class experience: Females and males see it differently. In A. Datnow & L. Hubbard (Eds.), Gender in policy and practice: Perspectives on single-sex and coeducational schooling (pp. 212-226). New York: Routledge. Read More