Single sex classes: teachers' strategies in English class

Some schools have single sex class system where male and female students at each level attend school with members of their sex. This system is believed to have successful learning and positive impact. However, there is also a weakness regarding to the differences between male and female student themselves that may affect the achievement, motivation, anxiety, abilities and others. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore the English teachers’ strategies to teach male and female students in single sex classes. This study used document analysis and interview with two English teachers at MTsN 2 Sidoarjo. The result of this study indicates that teachers used 6 strategies in teaching both males and female classes, namely memory strategy, cognitive strategy, compensation strategy, metacognitive strategy, affective strategy and social strategy. But the way teachers used strategy is quite different. In male classes the teachers used grouping, placing new words, repeating, using sound and writing system, using circumlocution, switching to the mother tongue, managing students’ pay attention, rewarding and cooperating with peer. While, in female classes the teachers used physical response, mechanical technique, analyzing expression, translating, body language clues, linguistic clues, self monitoring, discussing feeling, and developing cultural understanding. The finding implies that teachers can use same strategy in teaching male and female students but teachers can differentiate the way in using strategy depending on the situation and condition. Furthermore, in determining those kinds of different teaching strategies, the teachers have some considerations including learning material, learning objective and students’ characteristic.