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Upper primary students' learning environment perceptions, achievement and attitude in Science
Author
Seah, Hwee Lee
Supervisor
Wong, Angela F. L.
Abstract
This study was carried out with 4 intact classes of 149 Primary 5 pupils and 4 science teachers from one coeducational government primary school in Singapore. This study in pupils' classroom learning environment perceptions, achievement and attitude is significant as it is the first of such studies to make use of a complete short form version of the My Class Inventory in the Singapore context to assess pupils' perceptions of their science classroom learning environment.
The first objective of the study was to review the instruments modified for this study. Analyses such as the reliability and validity of the instruments were investigated. In addition, the study also examined associations between pupils' perceptions of their science learning environment and their achievement and attitudes in science. Besides comparing pupils' perceptions of their actual and preferred science classroom learning environment, gender differences, stream differences (EM1 and EM2 streams) and differences between pupils' and teachers' perceptions of their actual classroom learning environment were also investigated.
The investigation of achievement-environment and attitude-environment associations involved using simple and multiple correlation analyses. A univariate one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures was used to compare pupils' actual and preferred perceptions of their learning environment. Boys' and girls' perceptions of their actual and preferred science classroom learning environment were compared using an independent-sample T-test. The perceptions between different streams were also compared in a similar way.
The findings revealed that the modified short form of the My Class Inventory (MCI) (actual and preferred versions) and the modified attitudinal instrument displayed reasonably satisfactory reliability, adequate discriminant validity and were able to differentiate significantly between classes. Results further indicated that teachers perceived their actual science classroom learning environment more favourably than their pupils did. Findings revealed that pupils generally preferred a more favourable science classroom learning environment than they perceived as being actually present. In addition, it was found that boys perceived the science class as more competitive when compared to girls and that boys preferred a more competitive science classroom learning environment than girls did. Results also showed that pupils in the EM1 stream perceived that their science classroom learning environment was less satisfying than that perceived by the EM2 pupils. The findings also revealed the existence of positive associations between the nature of the science classroom learning environment and the pupils' achievement and attitudinal outcomes.
The first objective of the study was to review the instruments modified for this study. Analyses such as the reliability and validity of the instruments were investigated. In addition, the study also examined associations between pupils' perceptions of their science learning environment and their achievement and attitudes in science. Besides comparing pupils' perceptions of their actual and preferred science classroom learning environment, gender differences, stream differences (EM1 and EM2 streams) and differences between pupils' and teachers' perceptions of their actual classroom learning environment were also investigated.
The investigation of achievement-environment and attitude-environment associations involved using simple and multiple correlation analyses. A univariate one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures was used to compare pupils' actual and preferred perceptions of their learning environment. Boys' and girls' perceptions of their actual and preferred science classroom learning environment were compared using an independent-sample T-test. The perceptions between different streams were also compared in a similar way.
The findings revealed that the modified short form of the My Class Inventory (MCI) (actual and preferred versions) and the modified attitudinal instrument displayed reasonably satisfactory reliability, adequate discriminant validity and were able to differentiate significantly between classes. Results further indicated that teachers perceived their actual science classroom learning environment more favourably than their pupils did. Findings revealed that pupils generally preferred a more favourable science classroom learning environment than they perceived as being actually present. In addition, it was found that boys perceived the science class as more competitive when compared to girls and that boys preferred a more competitive science classroom learning environment than girls did. Results also showed that pupils in the EM1 stream perceived that their science classroom learning environment was less satisfying than that perceived by the EM2 pupils. The findings also revealed the existence of positive associations between the nature of the science classroom learning environment and the pupils' achievement and attitudinal outcomes.
Date Issued
2004
Call Number
Q183.4.S55 Sea
Date Submitted
2004