Gender and Cultural Differences in Teacher-Student Interpersonal Behavior.

The purpose of this study was to determine associations between science and mathematics students' perceptions of their classroom learning environments, the cultural backgrounds and gender of students, and their attitudinal and achievement outcomes. The subjects were 3,994 students from 182 secondary school science and mathematics classes in 35 coeducational schools in Western Australia and Tasmania. The students completed a survey including the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI), an attitude to class scale, and questions relating to cultural background. Statistical analyses have confirmed the reliability and validity of the QTI for secondary school science and mathematics students. Generally, the dimensions of the QTI were found to be significantly associated with student attitude scores. In particular, students' attitude scores were higher in classrooms in which students perceived greater leadership, helping/friendly, and understanding behaviors in their teachers. Females perceived their teachers in a more positive way than did males, and students from an Asian background tended to perceive their teachers more positively than those from the other cultural groups used in the study. (Contains 24 references). (Author/SPM)