School Administrators\u27 and Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Single-Gender Classrooms in Coeducational Public Middle Schools within South Carolina

The academic achievement gap between male and female students set in motion a flurry of initiatives to help address male underachievement. The amendments made to Title IX allowed single-gender education to become a viable option for addressing those gaps in achievement. After the adjustments made to Title IX, South Carolina led the nation in the implementation of single-gender classrooms. In fact, South Carolina was the only state to have an office dedicated to ensuring the successful implementation of single-gender programs. This quantitative study examined the perceptions of school administrators and teachers concerning the effectiveness of single-gender education. The study surveyed over 100 administrators and teachers from public middle schools within South Carolina. The study sought to gather perceptional data in the area of academic progress, behavior, and attitudes of students who were assigned to single-gender classes. The amount of professional development provided to the administrators and teachers on single-gender education was also examined. The data analysis revealed that the administrators and teachers in South Carolina perceived that single-gender education is a successful strategy in closing the achievement gap. The research showed that the administrators and teachers thought that the students perform better academically in single-gender classes, their behavior is improved, they have better attitudes in the classroom, and they are more engaged in the learning process. This study did not reveal anything in the data that shows a negative effect of single-gender education. It supports the body of research that has shown that single-gender education is an effective strategy for all students