Comparative Analysis of Academic Achievement of University Students Coming from Single-Sex and Coeducational Schools: A Study in Suleyman Demirel University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v5i4p209Keywords:
Single-Sex Schooling, Coeducational Schooling, Academic Performance of University StudentsAbstract
Many studies (Malik & Mirza, 2014; O’Neill, 2011; Daniels et al., 2009; Murphy, 2008; Hughes, 2007) conclude that there are numerous advantages of single-sex schooling especially for gifted, minority and economically disadvantaged students. Both boys and girls positively get affected by single-sex educational environment; while boys can express themselves comfortably in arts and theatre, and girls’ performance in mathematics and science subject has significantly improved (Martin & Beese, 2016; Leder, 2004). Both freed from opposite sex stereotype and intention of impressing opposite sex in educational process (Hughes, 2007). Past researches conclude (Murphy, 2008) that single-sex schooling also contributes positively for character building and moral development of students compared to co-educational schooling. The teachers who are the key players in educational process are varied in opinion about single-sex education (Sari, 2017; Spielhagen, 2011). The present study was carried out in the Suleyman Demirel University located in Kazakhstan. It was designed to find out the differences in academic performance of undergraduate degree programme students coming from single-sex and coeducational schools. Secondary source data was used for the analysis. Academic records of 8636 students were retrieved from the university management information system. This number of students were comprised of students who took admission from 2006-2007 academic year and graduated or left uncompleted. This number also includes students who are currently continuing the programme. Both descriptive and inferential analysis were applied. The study concludes that students from single-sex school took admission with significantly higher university entrance score. Students of single-sex schools were also granted significantly more government tuition fee waiver compared to counterparts. Hence, over the years the decrease in academic performance of single-sex students can be observed, graduated single-sex students had higher grand average compared to currently pursuing single-sex students. Moreover, even after taking admission higher score the grand average of currently pursuing single-sex students equalled (even slightly less) to students of coeducational schools. Female students from single-sex schools significantly took more admission in science and engineering disciplines compared to female students of co-educational schools.
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