The effect of a piloted single-sex math class on student attitudes towards mathematics

The purpose of this mixed-method ex post facto research study was to determine the impact of single-sex mathematics classes on student attitudes towards mathematics. Data was collected through the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scale survey and student focus groups of students who participated in the single-sex mathematics classes.;The findings indicate that students who participated in single-sex mathematics classes do not have better attitudes towards mathematics than their counterparts in the mixed-gender mathematics classes. Male student attitudes in the single-sex mathematics classes tended to change in direct variation with male student attitudes in the mixed-gender mathematics classes. These findings have the following implications for administrators in future policy changes: (1) provide professional development for staff about single-sex classroom instruction, (2) provide professional development for staff on learning differences between male and female students, and (3) use formal classroom observations to collect data about student perceptions of the teacher towards them.