Coeducational Environments, Research Paper Example

Introduction

There have been numerous debates as to whether to set up classrooms of single gender or mix up both boys and girls in a common learning environment. There are those that are for the idea just as there are people who are strongly opposed to the concept of setting up a learning environment that is made up of mixed gender. Most private schools are single gender based, and this has been happening in many countries of the world (Myers 42). In institutions of higher learning, such as both public and private universities, there is a rising need to mix students of both sexes to learn in the same environment. In support of the mixed gender environments, there are substantial reasons and benefits that have been given.

Reasons for and Benefits Associated with Setting up Coeducational Environments

Analysis of the need to set up mixed gender classrooms can be done based on various paradigms in the field of education. These are illustrated as follows.

Confidence

Students’ confidence matters a lot towards their success. Research has proven that most students that learn in coeducational environments are more confident to air grievances in the presence of their opposite sexes. This is beneficial since they are free enough to provide their opinions irrespective of the possible response they are likely to receive from their supervisors. In line with this, the students are more likely to learn from the corrective feedback that they will receive in the event that they make mistakes (Morgan 33). This confidence is instilled in them even after they leave these.

Respect

Setting up environments that are accommodative of both boys and girls leads to appreciation and respect for both male and female students. In doing this, the boys will be able to respect the ladies they are involved with in the same leaning environment (Lucas 02). Aspects of gender biases will not be a challenge to an institution that has classes of mixed gender. There are norms such as male chauvinism that often lead to loss of respect for the female students. These will be eradicated through the coeducational environments.

Socialization and Making Friends

An educational institution is not a purely academic zone. The students have to be involved in numerous social activities such as engagement in clubs and societies. In the case of mixed gender educational set-ups, these clubs and societies will be made up of both sexes. Socialization will then not be restricted to gender. The male students will learn more on how to socialize and make friends with their female counterparts.

Subject Choices and Opportunities

Ordinarily, there is often a challenge to the girls especially when it comes to subject and course selection. There are subjects such as those involving a lot of Mathematics that have been historically perceived to be male-oriented. In enabling the boys and girls to compete in the same environment, the ladies may realize the hidden potential that they possess in these disciplines.

The selection of faculties is also dominated by this traditional notion. There are those complex courses such as those associated with engineering and mechanical concepts that the ladies often shy away from. Setting up a common environment helps in eliminating the fear that female students may have towards these subjects, especially when they realize that they can compete with the male stud

Equality

In the developing countries, gender equality is a current emerging issue that has called for attention of nearly all the institutions, both private and public. This equality can be enhanced by establishing common factors for both the male and female students. This environment is most appropriate at the growing stages of students. Coeducational environments are useful in enhancing gender equality. All the students will learn to appreciate one another, irrespective of the gender. When this happens, there is more quality added to education.

Competitive Rivalry

It is expected that competition is likely to generate rivalries among learning institutions. In a case where schools are of single gender, this rivalry is likely to come in the form of gender too. The male schools often compete with the female schools and the converse is true. In such cases, the competitive rivalry that comes in this form will be purely based on gender. The male students will grow up to know the female students as lifetime rivals, which is not realistic. Getting both the boys and girls to take part in the same learning environment will cultivate healthy competition among all the students.

Foundation for Future Success

As earlier on mentioned, the future success of the young people is not fully reliant on academic work. There are talents and skills that will only be acquired through participation in extra-curricular activities. Establishment of inter-gender relationships and friendship ties will benefit students in their future social lives.

Academic Achievement

It is the sole dream of every student to be academically successful when they finally take their final examinations. There are boys that feel challenged when they are defeated in examinations by the female students. Likewise, there are those female students that will not be willing to take the challenge of being beaten by the male students. In a mixed set-up, the students will compete mutually.

Group discussions will be made not on the basis of sexes but will have members from both sides. The result of this active participation from both sexes will be full academic success. It is from the academic achievement that the future goals of these students will be determined.

Arguments against Coeducational Environments

Despite the numerous benefits that come along with mixed gender schools, there are some ideas that have been brought forward to oppose the concept.

Growth and Development

There are stages in life when the boys will be attracted sexually to the opposite sex. This happens especially at the adolescent stages. Most communities prefer isolating the boys from their female counterparts at this time. The main reason is to keep the students from taking part in immoral activities which may lead to school drop-out.

Distraction

There are arguments that have been expressed of the students not concentrating in their academic work to the maximum. These arguments postulate that the students will be more engaged in the social life than in the academic work. The amount of time devoted to their studies will be reduced by the time they spend on establishing social links with students of the opposite sex.

Lower Academic Performance

Comparisons have been made on the level of performance of the two type of learning institutions. Most people have expressed the concern that if the mixed gender system is initiated at the early stages such as secondary schools, the mixed schools will record lower performance compared to the single gender schools. This argument fails to hold in the case of institutions of higher learning like the colleges that are dominated by students of mixed sexes. What should be doneso as to make sure that the performance of the coeducational systems become exemplary is installing the right academic culture and putting in place restrictions on interaction of the students?

Declination in Character

Sexual harassment has been reported more in the institutions that have the mixed education population systems. In line with this, cases of rape and other forms is sexual harassment have been reported more on the institutions that use coeducational environments (Bank, Sara & Catherine 122). Social character declines more in cases where the students get influenced by friends of the opposite sex into taking on characters that go against the ethical standards of such organizations.

This may further lead to participation in incidents of crime and drug abuse. Peer influence becomes worse when it involves people from mixed sexes. The decline in character will no doubt be reflected in the academic performance of the students involved. It becomes a challenge to students when they have to balance between academic time and time devoted to other activities that are not in line with the learning cultures.

Conclusion

Although there are limitations that come along with the setting up of mixed gender classrooms, it is more advisable to have them in place. There are more benefits than problems that come as a result of deciding to set up coeducational systems. This calls for the need to have coeducational systems put in place.

Works Cited

Bank, Barbara J, Sara Delamont, and Catherine Marshall. Gender and Education: An Encyclopedia. Westport, Conn: Praeger Publishers, 2007. Internet resource.

Booth, Alison L., Sosa, Cardona L., & Nolen, P. Do Single-Sex Classes Affect Exam Scores? An Experiment in a Coeducational University. Essex: University of Essex, 2013. Internet Source

Lucas, Jones P. Selecting an Independent School: Benefits of the Coeducational Environment. Illonois: 2010. Internet Source

Morgan, Nicholas G. The Effects of Single Gender Schools on Boys’ Self-Esteem and Academic Confidence. , 2011. Print.

Myers, Christine D. University Coeducation in the Victorian Era: Inclusion in the United States and the United Kingdom. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Internet resource.