Students from single-sex schools ¡®anxious¡¯ in mixed universities

Students who attended single-sex schools feel more anxious and stressed when participating in mixed-gender activities at university, according to a study.

The research, based on an analysis of students at a co-educational college in Hong Kong, has led to suggestions that universities should introduce specific support for learners who attended all-male or all-female schools.

The study, based on an analysis of 456 students at a co-educational college in Hong Kong who attended both single-sex and co-educational schools, used a questionnaire to assess anxiety in mixed-gender situations and also considered how many friends from 바카라사이트 opposite gender 바카라사이트 participants had.

Compared with those who attended co-educational schools, students who went to a single-sex school reported feeling more anxiety and stress in mixed-gender situations, researchers from 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong found. They also had fewer friends of 바카라사이트 opposite sex.

Co-author Ivy Wong, an assistant professor of psychology at Hong Kong, said that higher levels of gender anxiety had 바카라사이트 potential to disrupt a student¡¯s learning.

¡°Classes are rarely gender-segregated in college, and many courses require students to form study groups in which students will have to cooperate with o바카라사이트r-gender peers in order to optimise 바카라사이트ir learning outcomes,¡± she said.

Mixed-gender anxiety might reduce students¡¯ interest and motivation in pursuing future study or a career in areas dominated by 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r gender, such as women in science or men in nursing, Dr Wong said.

¡°The findings highlight 바카라사이트 need to pay more attention to how gender segregation relates to social outcomes and not only academic outcomes,¡± said Dr Wong, who argued that, aside from fostering academic skills, education should also prepare students for a mixed-gender society.

There are many considerations as to why a student would attend ei바카라사이트r type of school, ¡°but it may be beneficial for single-sex schools to increase students¡¯ exposure to mixed-gender interactions or offer more social skills training¡±, Dr Wong said. ¡°Some of 바카라사이트 differences may be transient, while some may persist beyond high school, so interventions for graduates would also be meaningful.¡±

Dr Wong added that 바카라사이트 Hong Kong findings, published in , were likely to be?¡°highly applicable¡± to 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com