No Girls for Me Mummy: Providing a Positive Language Learning Environment for Boys in Single Gender Classes

摘要

National data reveals an alarming pattern of continued underachievement of Malaysian boys in schools and tertiary levels. Research on the single-sex classroom shows improved boys’ performance in English and foreign languages, and girls’ performance in math and science. This study reports the experiences of 30 secondary students enrolled in single gender schools. The study reveals that in gender separate classroom students have higher motivation and confidence levels, offering better educational opportunities. This paper proposes the introduction of boys’ only language classes using an enhanced curriculum for boys and the addition of brain based differences in teacher training and curriculum development.