**1. Introduction**

Coeducation (also known as mixed-gender or mixed-sex education) is a system of education that allows both girls and boys to study together in the same setting under the same conditions and equally share resources, facilities and experiences of a school [1–4]. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many coeducational schools were established in North America, Russia and some European countries such as Germany and Britain [5–7]. Since then, the concept of coeducation has traveled around the world and the vast majority of schools and universities are mixed-gender [8, 9]. Knight [10] asserts that many educational institutions around the world adopted coeducation because of the public pressure and advocates of equal rights of girls to education. There were oppositions against coeducation in some Latin American and many Islamic countries, but soon they gave way to coeducation. There are still conservative and traditional communities in countries that oppose coeducation, which mainly roots from their traditional beliefs and cultural norms [11, 12]. For instance,

coeducation is completely banned in North West of Pakistan where women have no social status and political power [11, 13, 14].

Implementation of coeducation in Afghanistan has been heavily dependent on political situation and ruling faction. Coeducation in Afghanistan dates back to the 1920s during which Amanullah Khan was ruling the country, and he is thought to have relentlessly attempted to modernize the country and promote gender equality in the country. During his reign in 1928, the first co-educational classes were introduced at Amaniyya High School for grades one and two [15]. Coeducation was introduced at the university level in the late 1970s during which People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), a Soviet-backed party rose to power. PDPA implemented rapid social and economic changes and introduced mass literacy for women and men of all ages. They reformed the education system and stressed education for both women and men. Numerous decrees aimed to ensure equal rights for women were issued. A large percentage of women obtained their higher education and worked as doctors, faculty members and MPs [16, 17].

However, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and civil wars destroyed the education system. Women's access to higher education was severely curtailed following the collapse of the communist regime and rise of the Mujahedeen to power in 1992. During their era (1992–1996), women's movement was restricted and access to higher education became limited particularly for women [18]. The situation became worse under the Taliban Regime (1996–2001). They outlawed coeducation in the country [16]. They barred girls from going to school let alone attending universities and studying along with boys under a roof [19–21].

Following the US attack to Afghanistan and the collapse of Taliban Regime in 2001, public universities reopened their doors for girls and boys and new public and private higher education institutions were established. Girls and women were encouraged to matriculate at these universities through konkor exams (national entrance exams) [18]. Since 2001, the country has made significant progress with respect to gender equality particularly women's education [22]. The classes in public and private higher education institutions are coeducational with the exception of schools of Sharia at the universities in which female and male classes are separated. Furthermore, female and male classes are separated particularly in remote provinces by a few departments of some faculties when there is enough number of girls to offer female-exclusive class. Some public schools particularly primary ones are coeducational in various parts of the country. Moreover, some private schools especially the ones based in big cities (e.g., Kabul) offer coeducational classes at high school level. Teacher training colleges, community colleges and vocational institutes also offer coeducational classes. Many foreign language centers in particular English language centers offer coeducational classes even the ones based in remote cities (e.g., Taliqan City). However, all female and male classes in madrassas (religious schools) are separated.

Scholars are of various views with respect to coeducation and its effects on students. According to Evans [23], coeducation is more conductive to gender equality; it results in undermining gender stereotypes as girls reveal equal competences in mixedgender classes. Coeducation is believed to play a vital role in the social development of girls and boys. They gain social maturity through interaction with each other and sharing personal experiences [11]. Mixed-gender education provides girls and boys with the opportunity to see each other as partners in learning. It offers a wide variety of learning experiences and role models, and it promotes equality and diversity. As girls and boys study and work together in the same environment under the same conditions, they improve their social and emotional understanding. In a coed setting,

#### *Coeducation in Higher Education of Afghanistan: Students' Perspective DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100131*

they learn to treat each other with respect and reject the gender stereotypes associated with a particular gender [24]. Schmuck [25] states that mixed-gender education helps boys and girls to develop effective interpersonal skills, which are essential for their social life and success in their workplace.

On the other hand, other scholars have disfavored coeducation. Bosire et al. [26] assert that female students' academic performance is negatively affected in a coed setting since they may be exposed to subtle discriminatory pedagogical practices, and in some cases they experience verbal and sexual harassment by male students. According to Signorella et al. [27], in coed classes, male students receive more attention than girls because they behave disruptively in the class compared to female students who are considered quieter and well-behaved. In coeducation, female students are likely to worry that their being assertive in the classroom or outside make them feel less attractive [28]. Francis [29] argues that male students dominate interaction in coed classrooms and hands-on activities in the learning process. According to O'Reilly and Mottet [30], cases of indiscipline such as bullying, stealing, absenteeism, sneaking and defiance of authority are more widespread in coeducational environment compared to single-sex education. Some scholars [31–33] have argued that that coeducation is risky for girls since they are marginalized and belittled in coed classes. Some researchers [34–37] concluded that girls studying in single-sex schools were more successful than those studying in coeducational schools.

A very small number of studies investigated students' perception of coeducation particularly that of the undergraduate students. Kachero [24] investigated students' and teachers' perceptions about effects of coeducation on academic performance in secondary schools in Kenya. The author concluded that students and teachers had negative attitudes towards coeducation. High level of indiscipline, male students' uncivil behaviors, teachers' preference of male students to female students' and encouragement of girl-boy relationship accounted for students' and teachers' ones negative attitudes. Payne & Newton [38] investigated teachers' and students' perceptions of mixed-gender secondary schooling. The findings showed that both teachers and students perceived coeducation to be most advantageous for students when it came to preparing them for future occupational and interpersonal roles. Rennie and Parker [39] studied students' and teachers' perceptions of single sex and mixed-sex mathematics classes. The participants believed that single-sex classes provided a more supportive environment for girls but a less supported environment for boys. Khalil et al. [40] concluded that female students in mixed-sex institutions had higher self-esteem than those in single-sex education. However, some studies [41–43] comparing the effects of single-sex and mixed-sex education concluded that there were statistically significant differences between them when it came to their effects on students. Alanazy [44] found that Saudi students, who were studying in the USA, had positive attitudes towards learning in coeducational environment while Alsaif [45] concluded that Saudi students, who were studying in the west at the time of the study, preferred single-sex education. Alsiaf also found out that female students were more receptive to coeducation than male students.

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world and traditional and cultural values and norms especially with respect to women are still prevalent in many of its parts. Interaction between women and men is considered a taboo particularly in remote areas. As far as the authors are concerned, no studies have been conducted to investigate the status of coeducation, students', instructors' and the general public views about coeducation at school and higher education levels. The current study is an attempt to investigate Afghan undergraduate students' perceptions of coeducation. It explores students' attitudes towards coeducation and their views about positive and negative effects of coeducation. Furthermore, it examines the impact of students' gender and ethnicity on their responses.
