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Psychology 320: Psychology of Gender and Sex Differences

Lecture 44

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Education

1. What factors contribute to sex differences in educational attainment? (continued)

3. What sex differences in education have been found in other countries?

2. Are there advantages associated with same-sex schooling?

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By the end of today’s class, you should be able to:

3. discuss cultural variation in access to education for females and males.

1. review factors that may account for sex differences in educational attainment.

2. identify the benefits of same-sex vs. mixed-sex schooling.

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5. review recommendations to increase educational opportunities for females in developing countries.

4. discuss the social benefits associated with educating females in developing countries.

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Declining confidence in academic aptitude, interest in academic achievement, and engagement in school activities across time:

What factors contribute to sex differences in educational attainment? (continued)

Males Females

% Most or All of the Time:

I got along well with teachers. 85.0 91.8

I did as little work as possible; I just wanted to get by. 20.8 9.4

I paid attention to the teacher. 76.8 87.0

I was interested in what I was learning in class. 54.8 65.7

I felt like an outsider or like I was left out of things at school. 3.7 3.3

I completed my homework on time. 74.0 86.3

% Agree or Strongly Agree:

I thought that many of the things we were learning in class were useless. 40.4 37.3

I was treated with as much respect as other students in my class. 91.5 92.0

I had friends at school whom I could talk to about personal things. 93.4 95.5

I liked to participate in many school activities, for example clubs, sports, drama. 61.8 62.5

School was often a waste of time. 16.6 10.0

People at school were interested in what I had to say. 89.9 91.0

% 3 hours or Fewer:

How many hours each week did you spend on homework outside class, during free periods and at home?

45.9 28.9

Indicators of High School Engagement (Statistics Canada, 2004)

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Percent of High School Seniors in School-Related Activities by Sex

(Institute for Social Research, 2001)

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Are there advantages associated with same-sex schooling?

• A review conducted by the US Department of Education (2005) suggests that single-sex schools (SS) offer modest benefits over mixed-sex schools (MS):

Outcome Variable Findings of Review

General and subject-specific achievement tests SS > MS

Meritorious scholarships attained Insufficient data

College GPA Insufficient data

College graduation rates SS = MS

Post-secondary test scores (e.g., GRE, MCAT, LSAT)

SS = MS

Graduate school attendance rates SS = MS

Postgraduate licensure tests scores Insufficient data

Outcomes Variables for Single-Sex vs. Mixed-Sex Schools: Academic Achievement

(US Department of Education, 2005)

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Outcome Variable Findings of Review

Bullying Insufficient data

Delinquency MS > SS

High school drop out MS > SS

Eating disorders SS > MS (females only; no data for males)

Teenage pregnancy Insufficient data

Self-esteem MS > SS (males only; SS = MS for females)

Locus of control SS > MS

Educational and career aspirations SS > MS

Participation in school-related activities SS > MS

Selection of non-traditional college major SS > MS (females only; no data for males)

Political activism SS > MS (females only; no data for males)

Post-secondary unemployment MS > SS

Outcomes Variables for Single-Sex vs. Mixed-Sex Schools: Socioemotional Adjustment

(US Department of Education, 2005)

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Outcome Variable Findings of Review

Leadership opportunities SS > MS

Value placed on leadership and grades SS > MS

Student satisfaction MS > SS (high school), SS > MS (college)

Parent satisfaction Insufficient data

Teacher satisfaction Insufficient data

Outcomes Variables for Single-Sex vs. Mixed-Sex Schools: School Culture

(US Department of Education, 2005)

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• Billger (2009) contrasted SS and MS schooling controlling for demographic variables (e.g., income):

No differences in academic achievement.

SS schooling was associated with less segregation in choice of college major. Other indices of socioemotional adjustment and indices of school culture were not examined.

Strong effects were found for African American men; SS schooling was associated with higher pay.

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What sex differences in education have been found in other countries?

• Although females and males have similar access to education in industrialized countries, large sex

differences in access exist in other countries.

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• It is estimated that, worldwide, 75 million fewer girls attend school than boys (Smith, 2006).

• The greatest sex disparities in educational access and attainment are found in the sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific (UNICEF, 2003; UN Children’s Fund, 2007).

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Malala Yousafzai

Country Ratio of Girls to Boys

Afghanistan 45.6

Bangladesh 104.7

Bulgaria 97.5

Cambodia 83.9

Canada 99.8

Ethiopia 69.0

Ghana 88.6

India 78.6

Iraq 76.3

Morocco 85.1

Nicaragua 105.3

Nigeria 80.0

United States 100.4

Yemen 55.6

Ratio of Girls to Boys Enrolled in Primary and Secondary Education Around the World (World Bank, 2002)

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Country Percent Female

Argentina 59

Australia 54

Canada 56

Ethiopia 26

India 39

Iran 49

Israel 56

Japan 45

Kenya 34

Morocco 44

Russia 57

Saudi Arabia 58

Turkey 41

United States 56

Vietnam 42

Percentage of All College and University Students Who are Female Across the World (United Nations, 2005)

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• Many societal benefits arise from the education of females (e.g., healthier offspring, reduced gender inequality).

• The UN Children’s Fund (2007) suggests the following strategies to enhance educational access for females in developing countries:

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1. Build more schools, especially in rural areas.

2. Lower costs of educating children.

3. Teach parents about the importance of educating girls.

4. Provide programs to prevent teenage pregnancy.

5. Encourage teen mothers to stay in school.

6. Attach day-care centres to schools.

7. Recruit more female teachers.

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Education

1. What factors contribute to sex differences in educational attainment? (continued)

3. What sex differences in education have been found in other countries?

2. Are there advantages associated with same-sex schooling?