ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENTS IN SAME-SEX AND COEDUCATIONAL PHYSICAL-EDUCATION CLASSES

Although class climate has been studied in relation to same-sex or coe ducational schools and academic classroom environments, physical educa tion presents a unique situation not frequently examined in this regar d. Middle and high school students' perceptions of the environment wer e examined following their participation in a basketball unit. Results indicated that same-sex and coeducational physical education classes revealed quite different climates, although boys and girls in the same coeducational classes generally viewed their environments in a simila r manner. Overall, girls' same-sex classes were perceived most favorab ly, whereas boys' same-sex classes were perceived least favorably. How ever, climate was viewed differently by girls and boys depending on wh ether they were perceiving the class as a whole or from the perspectiv e of their own gender. In addition, teacher gender was not a factor in the results.