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Students' Perceptions of Single‐Gender Science and Mathematics Classroom Experiences
Author(s) -
Brown Sherri L.,
Ronau Robert R.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
school science and mathematics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.135
H-Index - 2
eISSN - 1949-8594
pISSN - 0036-6803
DOI - 10.1111/j.1949-8594.2011.00121.x
Subject(s) - mathematics education , perception , ninth , scale (ratio) , science education , self efficacy , structural equation modeling , psychology , classroom climate , mathematics , social psychology , geography , statistics , physics , cartography , neuroscience , acoustics
While participating in single‐ and mixed‐gender science and mathematics classes, ninth‐grade urban high school students' ( n = 118) academic self‐concept, self‐efficacy, and school climate perceptions were examined. Their perceptions were measured quantitatively from the Fennema‐Sherman Mathematics (modified for Science) Attitude and the Patterns of Adaptive Learning scales. Five factors arose from each instrument: confidence/efficacy, utility, instruction, climate, and anxiety/performance avoidance. Comparative factor analysis of the science‐modified Fennema‐Sherman Scale showed similar constructs within the mathematics scale. Our findings are congruent with reports concerning single‐gender classrooms that find few significant differences in students' attitudes toward science and mathematics, or classroom climate, with regard to single‐gender classes. Lastly, our results supported three structural equation models for the hypothesized factors from each instrument.