  To better understand how student and faculty perceptions of the learning
climate in science/mathematics classes influence success and persistence, we
followed a cohort of 1425 academically able students who entered CEGEP in the
fall of 2003. Students completed surveys in their first, second and fourth
semesters. In the second semester 84 faculty members completed a similar
survey. Faculty conceptions of teaching were identified using a framework
developed by Scardamalia and Bereiter (1989). No significant gender differences
in achievement were found. Self-efficacy declined over students first semester
as did affect towards science. Classes that students perceived as fostering
their development had a positive impact on persistence and success while
classes characterized as transmitting had a negative impact. Females were more
likely than males to characterize a class as transmitting and to abandon
science. Faculty members who had pedagogical training were more likely to
create a fostering atmosphere in their classes.
