Perceptions of Classroom Climate by Students in Non-Traditional Majors for Their Gender. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

This study examined the possibility that not only women but also men, face a chilly classroom climate when they are students in a major that is considered nontraditional for their gender. Male and female junior and senior students (total n=426) majoring in accounting, education, engineering, or nursing at one university responded to the College Classroom Climate Survey. Analysis of variance was used to examine the relationships between the independent variables of gender and academic discipline and the interaction of gender and academic discipline and the dependent variable of perception of classroom climate. Findings indicated that, regardless of their gender, students in these majors did not perceive the climate to be "chilly." However, there was a difference in perception of classroom climate as a function of major. Specifically, both education and nursing students perceived a "warmer" classroom climate than accounting and engineering students. The pattern was the same for both males and females since there was no interaction of gender and academic discipline. (Contains 20 references.) (Author/DB)