Knowledge Box

Gender Differences in Sensitivity to School Climate

HSB 3rd Floor Student Commons

The primary goal of the current study was to test whether the relationship between adolescents' school perceptions and academic beliefs is moderated by gender. A substantial body of research has demonstrated that a sense of belonging and identification with school are important components in the positive development of students' academic beliefs and attitudes about school. However, we know less about the factors that influence students' perceptions. Previous studies have demonstrated that student sensitivity to school climate is differs by ethnic background (Espinoza and Juvonen, 2011). These findings suggest that other aspects of social identity, such as gender, may also play a role. The current study assesses the relationship between perceptions of school climate (e.g. belonging and fairness) and achievement-related beliefs (e.g. academic self-concept, classroom engagement) among a sample of 350 ethnic minority high school students. In particular, we hypothesize that girls' perceptions of the school environment may be more strongly associated with their attitudes and beliefs about school than for boys.