Views about co-education and single-sex education in Maltese primary schools

Abstract

The goal of the study is to investigate how educators, school leaders and students feel about integrating boys and girls from single-sex schools into co-educational settings. Its main objective is to perform a comprehensive analysis by contrasting and comparing coeducational and single-sex systems, with an emphasis on the perspectives of the participating students and teachers. In order to provide new perspectives on the continuing discussion surrounding education reform, the study explores the ways in which these two categories of educational environments affect instructional strategies and student experiences. The goal of the research is to offer a comprehensive understanding of the complexities that each system presents by analysing the advantages and disadvantages of coeducational and single-sex education. In contrast to single-sex education, which places students of the same gender in segregated settings, it investigates whether co-education promotes better social and academic outcomes. The disparate effects of these systems on teacher effectiveness, classroom dynamics, and student development will be clarified by this comparison. Additionally, the study looks into whether educators and school leaders support cooperative projects that teach boys and girls how to work together before making the full transition to a co-educational setting. By bridging the gap between co-education and single-sex education, these projects assist students in gradually adjusting to the new learning environment. Furthermore, the study intends to collect views regarding the short-term integration (such as a term) of students from single-sex schools into co-educational environments. In order to provide important insights into the best strategies for integrating boys and girls in academic settings, this component of the study will evaluate whether brief exposure to a mixed-gender learning environment can have a positive impact on the long-term success of full co-education transitions.