Despite frequent studies on gender gaps in the classroom, new research is suggesting that same sex classrooms could be beneficial to girls.

According to a study presented during the 2011 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences in Fredericton, New Brunswick, researchers segregated classrooms by gender in grades one through three with the idea that it would help the boys who were falling behind.

"All of them were very enthusiastic about doing it," said researcher Christopher Greig. "They thought this would be a way to address boys' underachievement."

However, the study's authors found that girls were able to thrive when underachieving boys were taken out of the equation. Although this was good for the girls, the researchers found the negative effects were much worse as the boys were more prone to violence.

Additionally, the study's authors noted that the achievement gap between genders actually increased over time due to the girls thriving and the boys continually being set back because of behavior and other issues.