Single-gender classrooms are sometimes built around stereotypes about boys and girls. Classes for boys might be active and engaging, while classrooms for girls might be quiet and emotive, according to Sadker. The American Council for CoEducational Schooling, an advocacy group founded by research scientists, argues this approach increases gender stereotypes. Sadker found boys in single-gender classrooms were significantly more likely to harbor negative attitudes about women and to hold gender stereotypes. Coeducational classrooms give students the opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of peers, making it more challenging for them to harbor gender stereotypes.
There aren't single-gender workplaces after graduation. According to Ridley College, coeducational classrooms prepare children of both genders to display mutual respect and to assert themselves in diverse settings in school and beyond. Coeducational settings also help students develop strategies for coping with the challenges of working alongside the opposite sex. Children learn, for example, that they can't be distracted by crushes and that members of the opposite sex are just as competent as themselves.
Social skills are a challenging but important part of the educational landscape, and neurologists Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang emphasize in their book "Welcome to Your Child's Brain" that children with good social skills do better in school. Coeducational classrooms provide more opportunities for children to practice social skills, and Ridley College says children in coeducational settings are more likely to report they have good relationships with children of the opposite sex.
Researchers debate a few key issues about the benefits of coeducational schools. Some researchers, such as Sadker, point to studies showing girls do better in math and science at single-gender schools, while others argue test scores are virtually the same. Classroom participation is also an issue. Aamodt and Wang say boys are more likely to participate in class discussions in coeducational classrooms. It's unclear how coeducational classrooms affect girls. Ridley College points to research indicating girls participate equally in both settings, while Higher Education Research Institute found girls' participation was stronger in single-gender schools and their grades were better.