Providing current research to our members is a strategic priority for the Alliance. We deliver access to valuable resources and anaylsis of the latest research findings relevant to educators of girls. Subscription-only academic research articles, as well as open access articles and reports by governments, universities and major organisations are summarised for members, highlighting themes and topics of particular relevance to the education of girls, including academic performance, mental health, leadership, neuroscience, single-sex education, STEM, wellbeing, and work and careers.
With more than 500 research abstracts, including over 160 related to single-sex education, many of which summarise research from subscription-only academic journals, the Alliance Research Library provides an unparalleled source of information on single-sex education for girls.
Library access and membership:
Free library membership and access is available for all staff of Alliance member schools, simply complete the access request form to receive your personalised login.
Annual library subscription for non-Alliance members costs AUD550
(English) New Australian research may explain the practical nuances of male hubris, female humility effect. While genders are “equal in measured intelligence” women “systematically” underrate their IQ, while males overinflate theirs. There is no single cause for the male hubris, female humility effect, but a range of social conditioning factors, including the socio-cultural transmission of gender stereotypes.
(English) A UK-based research team investigated ways to improve girls’ engagement in physical education (PE) classes. After discovering several barriers to girls’ participation and engagement, such as and gender stereotypes and self-comparisons to male students, body image concerns, and negative experiences in PE, researchers concluded programming does not always lead to results in practice. They concluded that the way in which peers regulate ‘the motivational climate is more significant that ‘teacher-created’ climates to motivate girls into sport.
(English) A recent study offers new insight into why more Australian female high school students are not motivated to pursue careers in construction. Researchers concluded that the construction sector needs to “reposition itself” as “inclusive” and that schools need to communicate this “potential and diversity” through “diverse role models and champions” (p. 834).
(English) According to a recent report released by Helen Connolly, South Australia’s (SA) Commissioner for Children and Young People, sexism and stereotyping are now considered a “normal part of school culture” with incidents “generally not reported due to a belief that nothing can or will be done about it” (Connolly, 2022, p. 18).
(English) Sneider and Ravel (2021, p. 63) review the myriad of studies targeting issues facing marginalised groups in STEM, including girls and young women. The authors presented an encouraging interpretation of 263 research studies, showing that “multiple methods have successfully addressed a major social inequity: improving attitudes, STEM skills, and career aspirations of girls”.
(English) In a year-long study conducted in Single-Gender Initiative (SGI) classes iSchmidt (2020) found that single-sex classrooms do not reinforce a rigid dichotomy of male and female gender traits. Schmidt (2020) acknowledges the potential for rigidity when schools design and program specifically for the single-sex environments, yet her findings indicate that even when this does occur, social fluidity within these social spaces will disrupt any (inadvertent) stereotypical gender norm and the freedom of a space filled with same-sex “bodies” allows students to perform their gender in any way they choose.