Women's Views of the Factors That Encourage and Discourage Classroom Participation

Using Jungian constructs as a lens, we examined the "chilly" classroom dynamic. One hundred forty-two upper-class women, majoring in either education or engineering, responded to two open-ended questions about classroom characteristics that encouraged or discouraged participation. To "take the temperatures" of these classroom climates, the Salter Environmental Type Assessment (Salter, 2002)was used to group their responses as either feeling or thinking. A content analysis of those comments suggested that instructors play a pivotal role in creating a positive climate for women. Suggestions for improving educational environments are offered.