<p>Those who prefer to send their wards to single-sex schools owing to social or peer pressure should read this.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Proponents of single-sex schools argue that separating boys and girls increases students' achievement and academic interest.<br /><br />"Our comprehensive analysis of the data shows that these advantages are trivial and, in many cases, nonexistent," said author Janet Shibley Hyde of University of Wisconsin-Madison, US.<br /><br />The researchers analysed 184 studies of more than 1.6 million students from around the world. <br /><br />They found that single-sex education does not educate girls and boys any better than co-ed schools.<br /><br />Researchers also looked at studies that examined co-ed schools that offered single-sex instruction in certain subjects and found no significant benefits for boys or girls in these cases.<br /><br />Theories that single-sex education may be better for students have included the idea that without boys in the classroom, girls would be able to thrive in traditionally male-dominated subjects, such as math and science. <br /><br />The theoretical approach termed 'girl power' argues that girls lag behind boys in some subjects in co-ed classrooms. <br /><br />"This is not supported by our analysis and, moreover, girls' educational aspirations were not higher in single-sex schools," added co-author Erin Pahlke, Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. <br /><br />Some studies showed modest benefits for both boys and girls in maths performance in single-sex schools but not for science performance.<br /><br />However, these advantages in maths were not evident in studies with more rigorous research methods, said the findings published in the journal Psychological Bulletin.</p>
<p>Those who prefer to send their wards to single-sex schools owing to social or peer pressure should read this.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Proponents of single-sex schools argue that separating boys and girls increases students' achievement and academic interest.<br /><br />"Our comprehensive analysis of the data shows that these advantages are trivial and, in many cases, nonexistent," said author Janet Shibley Hyde of University of Wisconsin-Madison, US.<br /><br />The researchers analysed 184 studies of more than 1.6 million students from around the world. <br /><br />They found that single-sex education does not educate girls and boys any better than co-ed schools.<br /><br />Researchers also looked at studies that examined co-ed schools that offered single-sex instruction in certain subjects and found no significant benefits for boys or girls in these cases.<br /><br />Theories that single-sex education may be better for students have included the idea that without boys in the classroom, girls would be able to thrive in traditionally male-dominated subjects, such as math and science. <br /><br />The theoretical approach termed 'girl power' argues that girls lag behind boys in some subjects in co-ed classrooms. <br /><br />"This is not supported by our analysis and, moreover, girls' educational aspirations were not higher in single-sex schools," added co-author Erin Pahlke, Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. <br /><br />Some studies showed modest benefits for both boys and girls in maths performance in single-sex schools but not for science performance.<br /><br />However, these advantages in maths were not evident in studies with more rigorous research methods, said the findings published in the journal Psychological Bulletin.</p>