Reshaping the social order: The case of gender segregation

An experimental study of gender segregation in 38 fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms was conducted. Teachers in the experimental condition were encouraged to utilize small, mixed-sex instructional groups to promote gender integration and the reduction of gender stereotypes. Students in experimental classrooms engaged in more cross-sex interactions than students in control classrooms, and boys in experimental classrooms had greater preference for working in cross-sex groups; there were no experimental effects, however, for girls' preferences for working in cross-sex groups, and all students rated same-sex classmates more positively than cross-sex classmates, with no treatment effect on the ratings. Implications for gender segregation in the labor force are discussed.