Numerous studies find evidence that single-sex schooling during early adolescence creates achievement advantages, and that these advantages are greater for girls. However, there is a dearth of evidence on whether single-sex schooling has similar effects in the Middle East, where the majority of public schools are gender segregated, and where girls have consistently outperformed boys in mathematics and science. This paper uses regression analysis to estimate the relationship between single-sex education and achievement in the Middle East. I use 2007 data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to measure eighth-grade mathematics achievement in Iran, Syria, Jordan, and Oman. I test whether singlesex schooling results in greater achievement advantages for girls relative to boys. Findings will contribute to general policy debates about the effects of single-sex schooling. In the Middle East, it will provide an evidence-based assessment of existing single-sex education policies and stimulate a largely silent policy discourse on gender segregation.

Numerous studies find evidence that single-sex schooling during early adolescence creates achievement advantages, and that these advantages are greater for girls. However, there is a dearth of evidence on whether single-sex schooling has similar effects in the Middle East, where the majority of p...