EXAMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLS: EVIDENCE FROM PISA DATA IN IRELAND

Abstract

Based on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), this study examines the relationship between attending single-sex schools and academic performance, using Irish data. The study aims to investigate whether there is a difference in reading, mathematics, and science performance between those attending single-sex or mixed-sex schools after controlling for socioeconomic and school-level factors. The sample consists of 15-year-olds, and the study found no statistically significant difference in academic outcomes between those attending single-sex or mixed-sex schools. However, gender differentials in mathematics and reading are more substantial for students educated in single-sex schools than for those in coeducational schools. The study concludes that more empirical evidence is necessary to better understand the relationship between single-sex and mixed-sex schooling. The research adds important evidence to the policy space by providing new insights on the impacts of single-sex and mixed-sex schooling on student outcomes, particularly within the Irish context.