The Relationship Among Gender, Gender Orientation, and Class Participation of Middle School Students

Middle school students were observed to examine the relationship among gender, gender orientation, and class participation. Instances of volunteering and verbal participation in class were recorded. In addition to being observed, participants completed Harter et al.\u27s (1998) Gender Orientation Questionnaire to identify their gender orientation. A student\u27s gender orientation could be masculine, feminine, androgynous, or unclassified. Results indicated that male students participated more in class than female students. Also, class participation rates did not differ for girls based on gender orientation. There were no differences between male and female students in solicited participation rates. However, male students participated more than female students in unsolicited situations. The discussion focuses on these results and other factors that may influence class participation of female students