Classroom Environment and Teachers' Cultural Background in Secondary Science Classes in an Asian Context

The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between students’ perceptions of science classrooms learning environment, their attitudinal outcomes and the cultural backgrounds of their teachers. A sample of 1,188 students from 54 science classes in ten secondary schools in Brunei completed the What Is Happening in This Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire. Responses to two scales of the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) were used as attitudinal measures. Statistical analysis supported the reliability of the instruments when used in this context. Associations between students’ perceptions of classroom environment as assessed by the WIHIC and cultural background of teachers were also investigated. Significant associations were found between most of the scales and teachers’ cultural background. The results showed that students perceived a more favourable learning environment in the classrooms of the Western teachers. Students perceived that the science classrooms of Western teachers were more cohesive, they received more teacher support and they were more involved in the work of the class. Students also perceived that in the science classes of Western teachers, there was more task orientation, cooperation among students and equity. The study also found that students in the classrooms of Western teachers enjoyed their science lessons more than those students in the other classes. Introduction The study of learning environment was rooted in the formula on the relationship of an individual and the environment proposed by Lewin (1936). He believed that all behaviour and experience are a function of the person and his/her environment. His mathematical formula B=f (P,E) indicates that a person's behaviour reflects the environment and the person within the environment. Since Lewin's time, international research efforts involving the conceptualisation, assessment, and investigation of perceptions of aspects of the classroom environment have firmly established classroom environment as a thriving field of study (Fraser, 1994, 1998; Fraser & Walberg, 1991). For example, recent classroom environment research has focused on constructivist classroom environments (Taylor, Fraser & Fisher, 1997), cross-national studies of science classroom environments (Fisher, Rickards, Goh, & Wong, 1997), science laboratory classroom environments (McRobbie & Fraser, 1993), computer laboratory classroom environment (Newby & Fisher, 2000) and computer-assisted instruction classrooms (Stolarchuk & Fisher, 1999; Teh & Fraser, 1995). In the past three decades, much attention has been given to the development and use of instruments to assess the qualities of the classroom learning environment from the perspective of the student (Fraser, 1994; 1998; Fraser & Walberg, 1991), and the association between learning environment variables and student outcomes has provided a particular focus for the use of learning environment instruments. In a meta-analysis which examined 823 classes in eight subject areas and representing the perceptions of 17,805 students in four nations, Haertel, Walberg and Haertel (1981) found enhanced student achievement in classes which students felt had greater cohesiveness, satisfaction, and goal direction and less disorganization and friction. Other literature reviews since then have supported the existence of associations between classroom environment variables and student outcomes (Fraser, 1998). The What Is Happening In This Class? (WIHIC) Questionnaire While a number of learning environment research instruments have contributed to a better understanding of the socio-psychological climate of classrooms, some researchers felt that there was a need for a single instrument which incorporated some of the best features of the instruments previously developed. Based on the previous studies, Fraser, Fisher, and McRobbie (1996) developed a new learning environment instrument called What Is Happening In This Class? (WIHIC) which incorporates scales that have been used and proved to be significant predictors of learning outcomes. They also included additional scales which are designed to measure current concerns in the classrooms, such as cooperation and equity issues. The What Is Happening In This Class? (WIHIC) consists of 7 scales and 56 items (Fraser, Fisher, & McRobbie, 1996; Aldridge & Fraser, 1997). The seven scales are Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Involvement, Investigation, Task Orientation, Cooperation and Equity. Table 1 shows the scales in the WIHIC, along with a brief description of each scale and a sample item from each scale in the questionnaire.