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This study examined the effects of single-sex and coeducational schooling on the gender gap in educational achievement to age 25. Data were drawn from the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1265 individuals born in 1977 in Christchurch, New Zealand. After adjustment for a series of covariates related to school choice, there were significant differences between single-sex and coeducational schools in the size and direction of the gender gap. At coeducational schools, there was a statistically significant gap favouring females, while at single-sex schools there was a non-significant gap favouring males. This pattern was apparent for educational achievement both at high school and in tertiary education. These results indicate that single-sex schooling may mitigate male disadvantages in educational achievement. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

Gender differences in educational achievement were examined in a cohort of 1265 individuals studied from birth to age 25. There was a small but pervasive tendency for females to score better than males on standardised tests and to achieve more school and post-school qualifications. The differences could not be explained by differences in cognitive ability as males and females had similar IQ scores. Teacher ratings of classroom behaviour revealed that males were more prone to inattentive, restless and distractible behaviours and aggressive, antisocial and oppositional behaviours than females. When the associations between gender and measures of educational achievement were adjusted for teacher ratings of classroom behaviour the gender differences were reduced substantially. These results suggest that one approach to reducing gender differences in educational achievement lies in improving classroom behaviour. (Contains 4 tables.)