Single-Sex Versus Coeducation: The influence school type has on males attitudes towards gay people and perceived homophobic school climate

Aims: On a population of males who attended an Irish secondary school, the current study set out to examine the influence school type (single-sex or coeducational) had on students' attitudes towards gay people after controlling for the confounding variables age, geographical location, religiosity, and school religious ethos. It also compared the level of homophobia in the schooling environment between single-sex (SS) and coeducational (CE) schools. Finally, the study also examined if the level of homophobia in the schooling environment had an influence on the students' attitudes towards gay people. Method: Participants were recruited through convenience sampling using social media (n = 120) and completed four questionnaires; a demographics questionnaire, the Self-Ascribed Religiosity Scale, the Perceived Homophobic School Climate Scale and the Attitudes Towards Gay People Questionnaire. Results: Results indicated that school type was a non-significant predictor of attitudes towards gay people. However, SS schools had significantly higher levels of homophobia in the school environment than CE. Finally, there was a non-significant correlation between the level of perceived homophobia in the school environment and students' attitudes towards gay people. Conclusions: The current study provides a greater understanding of SS schooling issues and the foundation for future research. Findings suggest in the short-term, policy change within SS schools to promote a more diverse and accepting environment for gay students and in the long-term discontinuation of SS schooling