girls-only+curriculum

= RAHS Note Page =

Source
Shapka, Jennifer D; Keating, Daniel P. "Effects of a Girls-Only Curriculum During Adolescence: Performance, Persistence, and Engagement in Mathematics and Science." //American Educational Research Journal//. 01 Jan. 2003: 929. //eLibrary//. Web. 03 May. 2010.

Summary/Direct Quote
Developmental and educational research indicates that high school is the point at which students' participation and interest in mathematics shows a sharp decline, the most dramatic losses occurring among adolescent girls (e.g., American Association of University Women [AAUW], 1990, 1998). Moreover, mathematics appears to act as a critical filtering process, which often prohibits prospective students from entering post-secondary programs that require a background in advanced math and science, thereby diverting them from subsequent career pathways. The disproportionately lower female participation rates leave a large portion of the female population at a disadvantage in a technologically challenging and advancing society and economy.

One possible way to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks is to offer single -sex classes within an otherwise coeducational school (AAlJW, 1998; Carpenter & Hayden, 1987; Jovanovic & Breves, 1997; Mael, 1998). Allfemale classes may alleviate the exposure to gender -biased messages as well as provide an inclusive, cooperative learning environment where the emphasis is on task masteiy as opposed to performance (Eccles, 1987). This is in contrast to the typical post-elementary classroom, which is more competitive and outcome-oriented, characterized by an increase in grouping by ability, stricter grading practices, and increased public evaluation of the accuracy of work (Ames, 1992; Eccles et al., 1993). According to Fox (1976), girls' mathematical achievements can be maximized when social situational variables are manipulated in an educational intervention that emphasizes females' social interests and needs.