| This action research project examined female junior high science students gaining perceived confidence and higher assessment scores by working in same-sex lab groups during the 2004/2005 school year. Seventy-nine female students participated in the experiment. Instrumentation included a student pre- and postsurvey pertaining to effectiveness of lab groupings (same-sex, mixed-sex) on gaining confidence in science, as well as a general science test. Analyses of the data consisted of utilizing the MANOVA test to compare pre- and postsurvey mean differences. Also, qualitative data obtained through student writings were summarized. The findings of the study revealed group mix had no significant effect on females gaining confidence or in learning the material better and getting higher grades in science. It was shown females perceive lab groups work well together most of the time, females in same-sex lab groups perceive their group discussions as more positive than females in mixed-sex lab groups, and interaction between group mix and grade level significantly affected the students wanting to work with the same lab group again. |
