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Research
Domain 01

Coeducation


The Barker Institute is undertaking research projects that will provide research-informed practical advice and guidance to educational practitioners and leaders about coeducation.

Our Purpose

The aim of these projects is to investigate the opportunities of schooling in a coeducational environment. It includes research into the process and impact of schools introducing coeducation, and the nature of academic development, wellbeing, and character formation of students in a coeducational setting. Excellence in boys’ education, girls’ education and coeducation are all relevant to the coeducation research domain.

Rationale

Building on a wealth of experience with coeducation in the Barker College Senior School (Years 10-12), 2022 marked the first year that Barker was coeducational from Pre-K to Year 12, across the Hornsby, Darkinjung, Ngarralingayil and Dhupuma campuses. Many other schools in the Australian context are contemplating similar approaches, demonstrating the need for research in both the transition to full coeducation, and the lived coeducational experience.

Coeducation in schools is an authentic expression of the workplace and society. It provides enhanced opportunities for inclusive educational practices that meet the diverse needs of every student. Barker strives to provide an exemplary educational environment that challenges and cares for boys and girls in every capacity and this goal means there is a priority to be assigned to understanding more deeply how an effective coeducational environment operates.

Research Questions

  • How does coeducation meet the educational needs of the current student generation?
  • What impact has the transition from a single-sex to a coeducational environment had on teaching and learning?
  • How does our knowledge of teaching boys and girls best help us teach well in any classroom?

Publications