| This study measured and compared the academic, non-academic, and general self-concepts of 11th grade students in single gender and coeducational schools. In particular, the study investigated whether these environments and years of the students' enrollment within them affected the perceptions of students' abilities in the academic areas of mathematics, verbal abilities, and general school self-concepts; the non-academic areas of physical ability, physical appearance, relationships with parents, relationships with peers of the same sex and opposite sex, honesty/trustworthiness, and emotional stability self-concepts; and in the area of general self-concept. Also investigated in this study was whether the school environment affected the students' college and career aspirations. Students', teachers', administrators', and parents' reports of their experiences with single gender and coeducational schools were also reported in the present study. Mixed methods---quantitative and qualitative---were used to collect, analyze, and interpret data. Research methods included questionnaires with both Likert-type and open-ended questions. The investigation yielded a number of interesting findings about single gender settings. Of particular interest were the statistical differences found in the category of boys in single gender schools. When separated by gender, boys in single gender schools significantly outscored boys in coeducational settings in the areas of general school, honesty/trustworthiness, opposite sex peer relations, same sex peer relations, parent relations, and physical appearance, and general self-concepts. Not only did the boys in the single gender schools significantly outscore the boys in coeducational schools, but also they significantly outscored both categories of girls in seven of the eleven self-concept areas. No significant differences in self-concepts were found between the girls in the coeducational and the girls in the single gender schools. Therefore, the findings of the present study seem to indicate that the school environment affects the academic, non-academic, and general self-concept of boys. |
