Escaping Stereotypes: Educational Attitudes of Male Alumni of Single-Sex and Coed Schools

Advocates of single-sex education claim that in the absence of girls, boys are more likely to explore school subjects traditionally ascribed to girls. If so, male graduates of single-sex schools would exhibit more positive attitudes toward the humanities and would choose more diverse careers than would their cohorts who graduated from coed schools. Male alumni ( N = 412) were recruited from 3 boys' boarding schools, 3 boys' day schools, 3 coed boarding schools, and 3 coed day schools in the United States. Each respondent completed a battery of questionnaires designed to probe attitudes toward school subjects, college majors, and career choices. Results supported the notion that single-sex education promotes interest in the humanities for boys and that interest continues into college and career.