Abstract:
Palestinian refugee students in Lebanon are typically enrolled in single-sex UNRWA schools during their elementary and middle school years and are later admitted into co-educational secondary schools. This research examines teachers’ perspectives about students’ transition from single-sex education to a co-educational secondary school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in northern Lebanon. It asks how teachers understand this transition to affect classroom practices and academic performance. Semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations were carried out with a sample of male and female secondary school teachers. The thesis draws on social constructivism and thematic analysis to examine how cultural and social norms affect the ways in which teachers' respond to these changes. This research sheds light on the challenges these educators face as well as pointing to opportunities to improve teaching practices and policies in UNRWA schools.
