Does cooperative learning affect girls' and boys' learning and attitudes toward mathematic transformation skills in single-sex and mixed-sex classrooms?

摘要

With a rise in educators' interests to implement single-sex classrooms, cooperative learning was investigated, particularly for its effects on girls' and boys' learning and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to investigate fourth- and fifth-grade single-sex classrooms (SSC) and mixed-sex classrooms (MSC). Existing all-girls' SSC, all-boys' SSC, and MSC were presented with a cooperative lesson using the Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) technique. This study considered two independent variables, classroom environment (single-sex or mixed-sex) and type of instructional strategy (cooperative, individual). Pretests and posttests were administered to measure learning math, specifically transformation skills. A delayed posttest was also administered to measure learning retention. The Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales (FSMAS) were used to measure students' attitudes toward learning mathematical transformation skills.;No significant differences were found between girls' and boys' learning scores for the main effects of classroom environment (all-girl, all-boy, mixed-sex classrooms) or type of instructional strategy (with or without cooperative learning). There was no significant difference between all classrooms combined based on the presence of a cooperative learning treatment. The results also showed no significant differences between girls in SSC without cooperative learning and girls in MSC without cooperative learning. However, boys' learning in SSC without cooperative learning was significantly lower than boys' learning in MSC without cooperative learning. In terms of cooperative learning treatment, girls in SSC scored significantly higher than girls in the MSC environment. There was no significant difference in learning scores for the cooperative learning treatment for boys in SSC and MSC environments.;The data analyses for students' attitudes toward learning math transformation skills found one significant interaction between instructional strategy and classroom environment specifically for boys' attitudes toward their Teacher Perception (T). The analysis also found two significant main effects for classroom environment in boys' Confidence in Math (C) and girls' Usefulness of Math (U) attitude scores. No significant main effects for instructional strategy were found. The data analyses for attitudes showed no significant interaction or main effects for instructional strategy and classroom environment for whether boys and girls perceived math as a male domain (M).