PSYC 321: Wintersession in SC

Can you tell if a boy or a girl drew this math clock?

What about this drawing?

Observe classrooms in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC.

Stay at the historical Inn on Main.

The Psychology Department will be offering PSYC 321

in January, 2014.

In collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Education, students will observe single-gender public school classrooms. Students will collect data during Wintersession in South Carolina. This will be followed by a full semester of coursework designed to understand single-gender instruction from the perspective of teachers and students. Application is required and registration is limited.

PSYC 321: Community Psychology with Wintersession Applied Research (1.25 Units) Genero

Overview

Communities across the country are grappling with issues regarding public school choice. One of the most hotly debated issues has been whether public schools should provide a single-gender option. At Wellesley we assume that single gender education promotes gender equity and academic achievement. However, the national controversy regarding single-gender classrooms in public schools continues. Through PSYC321 you will observe treachers and students in single-gender classrooms and begin to take an active role in this important dialogue.

Description

To explore the complexities of single-gender instruction in public schools, Wellesley students will team up with the Office of School Transformation within the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) to evaluate its efforts in this area. Following data collection during Wintersession in selected upstate South Carolina public schools, students will return to campus to complete a full semester of coursework on this topic.

Issues pertaining to social identity, gender stereotypes, motivation, and academic achievement among culturally diverse children will be investigated. This unique course enables students to hone their research skills and network with single-gender educators, researchers, and program directors.

This 1.25-units course is open to students who have taken PSYC205 and two additional 200-level units within the Psychology Department or by permission of the instructor.

The application will be posted in September. Financial aid is available.

Questions? Please contact Nancy Genero, Ph.D. at ngenero@wellesley.edu.

If you wish to speak with previous students of PSYC 321, contact Molly Gibian at mgibian@wellesley.edu or Nubia Whitaker at nsmithwh@wellesley.edu.