Session 5: Reflection

This session gave me the opportunity to work with SPSS. With the help of this programme, we were abble to calculate the corbach alpha and paired sample T test from the raw data that we collected on the previous session. We were also taught how to read and intepret the data. I find this session exceptionally useful as I realise that data can be easily manipulated and should not be read at "face value".

In the later part of the day, Dr Quek also went through with us how to write and present our reseach paper. This is a good hands-on experience as it is the first time I'm learning how to write a research paper of my own. Writing the research paper was tough due to the time contraint and my own lack of experience. But with more time and practice I believe I'm able to do a better job the next time round. In fact, I'm looking forward to the new term when I will my department teachers on an action research. This will be a good opportunity for me to put what I have learnt to good use.

Session 4: Reflection

A very interesting session when we were given a chance to study some qualitative and quantitative studies done in Singapore. In our own groups we looked at the positive and negative aspects of the school's learning environment. I realise that a positive learning environment not only include an excellent physical environment, school leadership and school culture also play very inportant roles. A school will excel when the teachers are able to work well together and have a share vision. It is also important for leaders in schools to allow for freedom in decision making as this will give teachers a sense of ownership in initiatives and projects initiated by the school.

We also studied in detail the dimensions of SLEQ and I realized how the various dimensions of SLEQ are linked to Moos' schema. The session ended with all the participants in the class responding to WIHIC survey and we had a good hand-on session feeding the data into excel. I'm looking forward to the next session where we'll be using SPSS to tabulate and analyse our data.

Assessing Learning Environment

In today's session we looked at assessing learning environment. To assess learning environment, it is very important for one to keep in mind the rationale for assessing the learning environment, what to assess in the learning environment and which appropriate qualitative and quantitive instruments to use to assess the learning environment.

What do we assess in the learning environment? Basically, we need to look into the physical, student and social aspects. The physical aspect involves the seating arrangement, noise level, space provision for movement and work and even resource provision. Student aspect include how students work in groups/ individually, students interaction with each other and students' concentration. Finally the social aspect involves the teacher's mode of instruction and the types of educational tasks that he/ she assigns to the students.

Most of the instruments that were that created for assessing the classroom learning environment were based on Moos' Scheme of the three dimensions, namely,
1. Relationship: the extent of people incolvement and support for each other
2. Personal Development: direction along which personal growth and self enhancement occur
3. System maintenance and systen change: the extent of which the environment is orderly.

In order to assess the learning environment, one may evaluate the pupils' perceptions of the class or even the pupils' opinion of his/ her role within the class through the use of instruments such as My Class Inventory (MCI), e-leraning, What's Happening In this Class (WIHIC) etc.

Apart from look at what, why and how to assess learing environment, we also look at researchers in the field of Learning Environment, Murray, Levin, Walberg, Moos, Fraser and Fisher, and their contributions to the study of learning environments. There was an insightful sharing by the various groups on the different researchers and some of their works on learning environment.

Fisher

About Fisher : His work involves studying

Teacher-student interpersonal behaviour

How teachers interact with students. Using the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction in investigating differences between boys' and girls' perceptions, differences between students from different cultural backgrounds, and the effects of teacher interpersonal behaviour on student outcomes.

Classroom and school learning environments

The development and validation of questionnaires to assess students' or teachers' perceptions of classroom or school environments and the use of these questionnaires in investigating the effects of classroom environments on student outcomes.

Curriculum evaluation of science innovations

Evaluation of the effectiveness of new curricula using either or both quantitative and qualitative methods.

His work: The Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning Integrated with Contructivist teaching on Improving Learning Environments in Thai Secondary School Science Classrooms

First Phase: Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) is used to assess students' perception of the actual and prefered classroom environment through a constructivist perspective
Second Phase: The effectiveness of Cooperative Learning integrated with constructivist teaching in promoting improvement in Classroom Environment was evaluated through an Action Research process, involving the use of feedback on actual and preferred classroom environment

Sample:
7 secondary Science tecahers and 17 classes of 606 students in Thailand.

Method:

• Student Actual and Preferred Forms of the CLES, aseessing personal relevance, uncertainty, critical voice, shared control and student negotiation were administered


• factor analysis and internal consistency measures supported both actual and preferred forms


• Student's attitude to Science was also measured


• A number of teachers participated in an attempt to improve their classroom environment through the use of cooperative learning integrated with the constructivist teaching approach

Conclusion:
Changes in classrooms did occur , supporting the effectiveness of CL integrated with the constructivist teaching in improving learning environments and students' attitudes towards science in Thailand.

Some Studies done by Faser and Fisher

1. The Knowledge Arena: a learning environment that underpins concept
mapping.
http://www.clab.edc.uoc.gr/hy302/papers/knowledge%20and%20learning%20arena.pdf

2. Assessing the Psychosocial Environment of Mathematics Classrooms
http://www.jstor.org/view/00218251/ap020093/02a00050/0

3. The Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning Integrated with Constructivist Teaching on Improving Learning Environments in Thai Secondary School Science
http://www.iasce.net/Conference2004/22June/Panomporn/conference_full_%20paper_singapore.doc