Classroom Learning Environment
Learning points
- School learning environment = school climate
- There are four broadly categorised learning environments - learner-centred, knowledge-centred, assessment-centred and community-centred.
- Approaches to learning environment research:
- First we look at the big picture of learning environment and try to appreciate the usefulness in studying classroom environment. Then we look at how to assess the learning environment using a validated instrument. Finally we design follow-up actions for improvement.
Learning Environments Research
The learning environments research in Western countries emphasizes on the use of a variety of validated and robust questionnaires that assess students' perceptions of their classroom learning environment. Asian researchers have, on the other hand, cross validated the main contemporary classroom environment questionnaires.
Classroom Environment Instruments
Key features of historically important and contemporary instruments
Learning Environment Inventory (LEI): research related to Harvard Project Physics; designed to measure the social climate of a class perceived by the pupils within it
Classroom Environment Scale (CES): perceptual measures of a variety of human environments including psychiatric hospitals, prisons, university residences and work milieus
Individualised Classroom Environment Questionnaire (ICEQ): assesses those dimensions which distinguish individualised classrooms from conventional ones
My Class Inventory (MCI): simplified LEI for use among children aged 8--12 years
Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI): focuses on the nature and quality of interpersonal relationships between teachers and students
Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI): developed specifically to address the critical importance and uniqueness of laboratory settings in science education
Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES): assesses the degree to which a particular classroom's environment is consistent with a constructivist epistemology
What Is Happening In This Class (WIHIC) Questionnaire: combines modified versions of the most salient scales from a wide range of existing questionnaires with additional scales that accommodate contemporary educational concerns (e.g., equity and constructivism).
Most instruments incorporate the three dimensions of Moos's Scheme namely Relationship, Personal development, System maintenance and change. The various instruments developed are useful for assessing students' perceptions of classroom environment.
Reflection
We should try to strike a balance between the learner-centred and knowledge-centred environments. An environment that is solely learner-centred or too learner-centred may not help students acquire the learning that leads to understanding and transfer. On the other hand, an environment that stresses too much knowledge may impede the holistic development of students in learning as well as the integration of discipline.
A brief understanding on some historically-important questionnaires is useful. I am glad that I have the opportunity to be exposed to the various classroom environment instruments. Our students learn very differently now. We can’t presume they learn the way as we did in the past. Assessing our classroom learning environment especially in psychosocial aspect is of great help to us.
I also learned about http://www.copernic.com/ (personal files and digital media) and http://www.imeem.com/ (music) from my fellow coursemates.
I would like to express my appreciation to Dr Quek for enabling me to learn so much and for her generous hospitality at lunch time. I would like to thank also my coursemates who have been very wonderful and help make my learning an enjoyable one.
My (modest) action plan after the course:
1. To decide one instrument to assess my classroom learning
2. To design follow-up actions for improvement based on the result of the assessment
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