Student perceptions of science classes taught by males and females

Abstract

In their analysis of National Assessment results Haertel et a1.t found that 13 year-old boys and girls are quite similar in science learning. However, this similarity does not exist for 17 year olds. One possible cause for this change is socio-cultural pressures. In this study, we suggest that the science classroom learning environment may contribute to these pressures due to differences in classes taught by male and female science teachers. The Learning Environment Inventory was used to assess student perceptions in junior high, biology, chemistry, and physics classes and significant differences were found. Students perceived classes taught by females as more formal, more goal directed, more diverse and as having more instances of teacher favoritism and friction between students. Classes taught by males were perceived as more difficult. Possible relationships between these perceptual differences and changes in girls' preference for science are discussed and suggestions for future research are given. Haertel et al. (1981), in their analysis of the 1978 National Assessment results for 13 years olds, report no sex differences in science achievement. They point out that these results are in marked "contrast to the highly significant differences between the sexes in science related attittudes, behaviors and aspirations during the late adolescence.'' Why does this change take place? It has been suggested that the development of cognitive differences among the sexes is related to cultural pressure (Fox, 1977). Bern, Pfeiffer, and Newman (1981) recently have documented an example of a cultural sexual bias. They found that both male and female teachers classified high achieving students as androgynous and masculine, while low achieving students were classified as feminine. Perhaps the change in girls' and boys' science learning is also related to socio-cultural factors, Haertel et al. state that learning has been shown to be positively related to nine factors: student age, ability, and motivation; the quality and quantity of instruction; the social-psychological environment or morale of the class and home; the peer group environment; and exposure

Turkish Students’ Images of Scientists

“…Girls and boys enter science classrooms with genderrelated attitudes (Reid & Stephens, 1985;Jones & Wheatly, 1988;Mason, Kahle & Gardner;1991). Boys react positively to careers in science, whereas girls tend to reject science-related careers for themselves and for their future husbands (Mead and Metraux 1957;Lawrenz and Welch, 1983;Wheatly, ISSN 1648-3898 1988). However, research does suggest that girls are more likely to pursue a scientific career when they receive positive messages from parents, teachers, counsellors, and peers, when they are exposed to positive role models, and when they expect to succeed (Jones & Wheatly, 1988;Huber & Burton, 1995).…”

Use of Classroom Environment Assessments in School Psychology

“…Several studies of subject-matter differences in classroom environment (Anderson, 1971;Kuert, 1979;Steele et aI., 1974) revealed several interesting contrasts: convergence---divergence contrasted mathematics (more convergent) with language arts (more divergent); substance-syntax contrasted science and social studies (focus more on substance) with language arts and mathematics (focus more on syntax); and objectivity-subjectivity contrasted science (more objective) with social studies (more subjective). Lawrenz and Welch (1983) have provided evidence that, in comparison with classes taught by male teachers, classes taught by female teachers were perceived by students to have more goal direction, formality and friction but less difficulty. Other research has revealed interesting differences between classes in different types of school (Trickett, 1978), in coeducational and singlegender schools (Trickett et aI., 1982) and in classes of teachers with different student control ideologies (Harty and Hassan, 1983).…”

Women in engineering: factors affecting persistence and attrition in college majors

“…Stein and Bailey (1973) found that girls were more likely than boys to avoid tasks that were labeled "difficult." The view that science is "difficult," in combination with science's reputation for being stereotypically "masculine" may limit women's perceptions of success in science (Lawrenz & Welch, 1983).…”