THE INFLUENCE OF CO-EDUCATION AND SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION ON ADOLESCENT ...

THE INFLUENCE OF CO-EDUCATION AND S IN G L E -S E X EDUCATION ON

ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

_____________ ____

Maureen Kark

A dissertation submitted tn the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, f o r the Degree o f Master of Arts.

Johannesburg January 1983

ABSTRACT

The present d i s s e r t a t i o n was designed to a s s e s s s y s t e m a t i c a l l y and o b j e c t i v e l y the r e l a t i v e in fl u e n c e o f the systems o f co-education and s i n g l e - s e x education in a s s i s t i n g with the r e s o l u t i o n of ad olesc e nt developmental t a sk s . Since i t was f e l t by the present researcher th a t any complete e v alu ati on of a d olesce n t development must involve an appraisal o f the s o c i a l , h e t e r o s o c i a l , emotional and i n t e l l e c t u a l domains, the dependent variables and measurement instruments s e l e c t e d for the

present study were:

( i ) Home Adjustment

)

( i i ) Socia l Adjustment )

B e l l ' s Adjustment Inve ntory,

( i i i ) Emotional Adjustment ) (1v) H eterosocial Adjustment - 'b o y -g irT sub -scale of the

Mooney Problem Inventory

(v) Anxiety (v i) S e lf Concept

IPA O nxlSti^B le Coppersmith Self-Esteem Inventory

( v ii) Achievement Motivation - Achievement sub-scale of the Edward Personal Preference Schedule

( v i i i ) Academic Attainment -

Final ExaminatlonJTesults

(ix) Intelligence -.Mental Alertness Scale of the High Level Battery

The t o t a l number of su b je c ts s e l e c t e d fo r th e p resen t stuoy numbered 301 and comprised 146 males and 155 fem ales. This sample was broken down with regard to type of secondary school attended and present educational standard -that is - matriculation or first-year university,

/

ii

Of the t o t a l sam p le,149 su b jects r eceiv ed co-education and 152 receiv ed s i n g l e - s e x education; 161 s ub jects were m atriculation students and 140 sub jects were f i r s t - y e a r u n iv e r sit y stu d en ts.

The s t a t i s t i c a l procedures applied to the pre sen t data , included Factor A n a l y s i s , Analysis o f Variance and t - t e s t s . S i g n i f i c a n t differen ces in favour o f s in g le sex education were found in the area o f i n t e l l e c t u a l development and s i g n i f i c a n t d if f e r e n c e s in favour o f co-education were found in the area of h e t e r o s o c ia l adjustment. The psycho-educational implications o f these findings for both the psychology o f adolescence and the p o l i c i e s o f co-education and s i n g l e sex education are explored and recommendations f o r the development and implementation o f psycho-educational i n te r v e n ti o n programmes in the schools are indicated.

DECLARATION BY CANDIDATE I d ec la re that t h i s d i s s e r t a t i o n i s my own, unaided work. I t i s being submitted for the degree o f Master o f Arts in the U niversity o f the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. I t has not been submitted for any degree or examination in any other U n iversity.

M Kark

iv

acknowledgements

I wish to express my gra tit ud e to the fo llo w in g peop.e: - My Su p ervisor, Mrs A S t a r f i e l d , fo r her continual guiance and

generous encouragement. Her help has been in v a lu a b le ; - Mr M S a lin g , fo r h is in v a lu a b le advice on the s t a t i s t i c a l

methods employed'; - Pr ofes so r I J Couzens and Bernice and Stanley Kark for

proofreading the manuscript; - My husband, Jeremy, fo r h is p a tie n c e , support and encouragement; - The Transvaal Education Department, th e Heads o f th e S ch o o ls,

th e Head o f the Department o f Psychology a t the U n iv ersity o f the Witwatersrand, fo r t h e i r co-operation and a s s is t a n c e , - The students who were my s u b j e c t s , fo r t h e i r p a r tic ip a tio n which made t h is d i s s e r t a t i o n p o s s i b l e ; - The U n iversity o f the Witwatersrand, fo r awarding me the Freda Lawenski S ch olarsh ip , which contributed f i n a n c i a l l y to the implementation and preparation o f t h is d i s s e r t a t i o n ; - The Human S ciences Research C ouncil, f o r i t s f in a n c ia l a s s is t a n c e ; -? Mrs M Nell whose e f f o r t s as a t y p i s t are most appreciated.

table of contents

V

Page

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION . . .

CHAPTER 2 - HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW OF CO-EDUCATION 8 AND SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION . . .

8

2.1 General History

10

2.2 History in Britain

12

2 ! 3 History in America

15

2.4 History in Australia

17

2.5 History in South Africa

2 5 1 History under the Dutch S e t t l e r s 2 . 5 . 2 History under the B ritish S e t tle r s

17 19 20

2.5.3 Conclusion

2. 6 H is t o r ic a l Overview - General Conclusion

21

2*.7 Philosophical Overview

CHAPTER 3 - IMPLICATIONS OF ADOLESCENT THEORY AND DEVELOPMENT

FOR CO-EDUCATION

26

3.1 Introduction . . .

27

3.2 Adolescent Theory

...

3.3 Developmental Tasks o f Adolescence

3 .3 .1 Achieving New and More Mature R elations wi th Peers o f both Sexex

3.3.2 Educational Implications

31 33

3 .4 Achieving a Masculine or Feminine Social Role 3.5 Physical Aspects of Adolescence

36 38

3.5.1 Educational Implications

39

3.6 Achieving Personal Autonomy and Independence from

40

Parents

3.6.1 Educational Implications

41

3.7 Intellectual Aspects of Adolescence . . .

3.7.1 Sex Differences in I n te llig e n c e . 3.7.2 Educational Implications

? A Gnnrlusi

. 42 42 46

47

vi Page

CHAPTER 4 - REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF RESEARCH ON CO-EDUCATION AND SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION . . .

49

4.1 Introduction 4.2 Atti tudinal Surveys

49 50

4 2 1 A tti tudinal Surveys Conducted on PuP^s

51

4 . 2 . 2 A ttitu d in a l Surveys Conducted on Ex-Pupils

bo

4 . 2 . 3 A t t it u d in a l Surveys Conducted on Teachers

4*.2*.4 Atti tudinal Research - Conclusion

4.3 Studies Measuring Psychological and Social Adjustment 65

4.3 .1 Co-Education and Psycho-Social Adjustment Conclusion

4 . 4 Comparative Research Regarding Academic Attainment 74

4 .4 .1 The Tyson Survey

...

4 .4.2 King's Survey

...

"

4 .4 .3 Sutherland's Survey . . .

4 .4 .4 Dale's Survey

...

4 .4 .5 Van Aswegen's Survey

4.5 S ch olastic Research- Conclusion

...

81

4.6 University Research

CHAPTER 5 - AIM AND METHOD OF THE STUDY

...

87

5.1 Aim

... ...

** . , ,

*

qn

5 .2 The Dependent and Independent Variables . . .

vu

5.3 Rationale for Choice o f Dependent Variable

5.4 Hypotheses

5.4.1 Hypotheses Relating to Psycho-Social

Adjustment of M atriculation Students

yd

5 .4 .2 Hypotheses Relating to In te llectu a l

Development of M atriculation Students

5 .4 .3 Hypotheses Relating to Psycho-Social Adjustment of First-Year University Students

5 .4 .4 Hypotheses Relating to In te lle ctu a l

Development o f U n iversity Students

5.5 Subjects

94

5 .5 .1 S e le c t io n o f the M atriculation Sample

95

5 . 5 . 2 S e l e c t i o n of the Un iver sity Sample

9/

5,6 Apparatus

99

5 .6 .1 Scales Measuring P e rso n a lity and Social

Adjustment

? ? ?. ,, , ' *'*

ino

5 . 6 . 2 Scales Measuring Academic Development

IU2

VI i

Page

5.7 Procedure

104

5 . 7 .1 Procedure Followed with Regard to

Matriculation Sample

5 . 7 . 2 Procedure Followed with Regard to

University Students . . .

IUb

108 CHAPTER 6 - RESULTS

6.1 Analysis o f Variance on Mental A l e r t n e s s . . .

108

6]2 Factor Analysis

6 . 2 . 1 Factor Naming

112

6.3 Analysis of Variance

113

6 .3 .1 Analysis o f Variance on P e rso n a lity Adjustment Factor

6 .4 A nalysis o f Variance on S c h o la s t ic Achievement

6 5 Analysis o f Variance on S ocial Adjustment Factor 116

6 . 6 A nalysis o f Variance on Achievement Motivation

Factor

*??

*?*

*' ?

6 . 7 Analysis o f Variance on Heterosocial Adjustment 119

6 .8 Summary o f S i g n i f i c a n t Findings Relating to

School

124

CHAPTER 7 7.1 7.2 7.3

DISCUSSION . . .

...

125

Discussion of Findings Regarding the Personality

Adjustment Factor

...

125

Discussion of Findings Regarding the Social

Adjustment Factor

...

,, ?;* ..

128

Discussion of Findings Regarding the Scholastic

Attainment Factor

7.3.1 7.3.2

Discussion of Results at Matriculation

Level . . .

??? .

*? ?

D iscu ssion o f Results a t Firs (.-Year

University Level . . .

???

7 .4 D iscu ssion o f Findings Regard ng the Achievement

Motivation Factor

...

,, ? ? ? . n

7.5 Discussion of Findings Regarding the Heterosocial

Adjustment Factor

???

140

7.5.1 Discussion of Findings at Matriculation

Level . . .

...

y

'44

7.5.2 Discussion of Findings at University

Level

_adK_

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