Female and male differences in observed and perceived experiences in classroom environments and instructional interactions in a college calculus course involving students majoring in science or science-related fields

Classroom experiences are important, but not the sole, contributors to gender differences in attitude and enrollment in science. Teacher behaviors and teaching strategies also contribute to the problem. These behaviors can lead to negative attitudes toward science and science avoidance on the part of females. The authors purpose in this study is to examine teacher-student interactions and explicate the dynamics of those interactions in understanding why students, especially females, leave science or a science-related field. Perceptual questionnaires were administered to approximately 170 Calculus 1 students and their recitation instructors. Five of the six Calculus 1 instructors completed the questionnaires. Calculus 1 lecture and recitation sessions were observed for three weeks. Eleven female and eleven male students were interviewed. Five of the six Calculus 1 instructors were interviewed. Unstructured observations, questionnaires, a structured observation system, and an interview protocol were used to gather observational, written, and verbal information from students and instructors. Analysis of these data revealed a difference in students' perceptions across different recitations regarding Actual environment, but these differences were not related to gender. When responses were compared to attendance, females, in proportion to their numbers, interacted at a level similar to males. Overall, female and male students did not believe males received preferential treatment from professors. They believed professors knew and assisted those students who initiated frequent contact during office hours and asked questions in recitation and in help sessions. Females considered leaving their major due to difficulties in grasping the material and to frustration with the difficulty of the discipline. Males considered leaving their major the difficulty of some of the mathematics and science courses and difficulty envisioning themselves in their major. The majority of the interviewees decided to remain in their major because they found the major interesting and enjoyable, saw future job opportunities, and did envision themselves in the field. Although students admitted that females used more resources and earned higher grades than did males, they wondered why more females were not in the sciences.