Do Single-Sex Classes Affect Exam Scores? An Experiment in a Coeducational University

Alison Booth, Lina Cardona-Sosa and Patrick Nolen

No 679, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Economics, Australian National University

Abstract: We examine the effect of single-sex classes on the pass rates, grades, and course choices of students in a coeducational university. We randomly assign students to all-female, all-male, and coed classes and, therefore, get around the selection issues present in other studies on single-sex education. We find that one hour a week of single-sex education benefits females: females are 7% more likely to pass their first year courses and score 10% higher in their required second year classes than their peers attending coeducational classes. We find no effect of single-sex education on the probability that a female will take technical classes and there is no effect of single-sex education for males. Furthermore we are able to examine potential mechanisms driving the single-sex effect for females. We find that the results are consistent with a reduction in stereotype threat for females and are not due to a potential tracking effect.

Keywords: single-sex; education; gender; experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 C92 J16 J33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-edu, nep-exp and nep-hrm
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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Working Paper: Do Single-Sex Classes Affect Exam Scores? An Experiment in a Coeducational University (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:auu:dpaper:679

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