Abstract: Since Hall and Sandler's original work on the chilly classroom climate for women, which was published in 1982 by the Project on the Status and Education of Women of the Association of American Colleges, there has been much controversy and debate about its existence. Critics point out that the original work was nothing more than a literature review, no data were collected, and much of the information presented was anecdotal in nature. Proponents of the existence of the chilly climate maintain that women are, in fact, treated differently from men both in and out of the classroom, and this differential treatment negatively impacts their performance in college. Over the past 20 years, empirical research on the chilly climate for women has yielded conflicting results. While some authors have focused exclusively on the classroom environment, others have included the campus environment as well. This review of literature on the chilly climate for women includes a historical overview of the major reports and studies that substantiate its existence as well as data that refute it, and the various tools that have been used for measuring chilly climate. (Contains 20 references.) (Author/SM)
Notes: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association (Biloxi, MI, November 5-7, 2003).
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