Teachers’ beliefs, attitudes and concerns about the gender grouping of students in state secondary schools

Abstract

In 2013 the government launched the soft introduction of coeducation across Maltese state secondary schools. This study through a triangulated approach, involving both quantitative and qualitative methods, compared and contrasted the views of teachers teaching in a coeducational setting with those teaching in a single-sex environment. Three hundred questionnaires were delivered amongst teachers in single-sex male, single-sex female and coeducational schools. On the basis of the most salient findings, semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight teachers as to provide further in-depth analysis. While no differences in beliefs were observed between male and female participants, major differences were noted between teachers from different school settings. Especially between coeducational and single-sex female teachers, the latter strongly opposing the introduction of coeducation. Single-sex teachers feel that the change has not been planned properly as the trial run was not given enough time to take its full course. Teachers feel they were not consulted, that too many changes are taking place in a short period of time and were offered no training on the teaching and management of mixed sex classes. Thus authorities have to value the teachers’ opinions for the reform to reach its utmost goals.