Jeffrey P. Dorman

Cross-National Validation of the What is Happening in this Class? (WIHIC) Questionnaire using Confirmatory Factor Analysis

The What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire was validated cross-nationally using a sample of 3980 high school students from Australia, the UK and Canada. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the seven-scale a priori structure of the instrument. Fit statistics indicated a good fit of the model to the data. While all items loaded strongly on their a priori factor, model fit indices revealed a degree of scale overlap. The use of multi-sample analyses within structural equation modelling substantiated invariant factor structures for three grouping variables: country, grade level and student gender. This study supported the wide international applicability of the WIHIC as a valid measure of classroom psychosocial environment.

Relationship Between School and Classroom Environment and Teacher Burnout: A LISREL Analysis

Research was conducted on the relationship between school and classroom psychosocial environment and perceptions of burnout in teachers who staff Queensland private schools. A sample of 246 teachers responded to scales that assess seven school environment and seven classroom environment dimensions and the three facets of burnout measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment. Preliminary multiple regression analyses resulted in an hypothesised model of seven environment dimensions predicting burnout. This model was tested in a LISREL analysis with posthoc modifications improving model fit to data. While staff affiliation and work pressure were significant predictors of emotional exhaustion, staff mission consensus and co-operation in classrooms were significant predictors of depersonalisation. Staff mission consensus, together with classroom interactions, co-operation and task orientation were significantly related to personal accomplishment. Results supported previous research on the structure of teacher burnout in that emotional exhaustion influenced depersonalisation which subsequently impacted on personal accomplishment.

Relationship between School-Level and Classroom-Level Environments in Secondary Schools.

Investigates relationships between school and classroom environment. Explains how in Australian secondary schools, instruments were developed and validated for assessing seven dimensions of school environment (empowerment, student support, affiliation, professional interest, mission consensus, resource adequacy and work pressure) and seven dimensions of classroom environment (student affiliation, interactions, co‐operation, task orientation, order and organization, individualization and teacher control). The study involved a sample of 2,211 students in 104 year nine and year 12 religious education and science classes and 208 teachers of religious education and science in Catholic and government secondary schools. Indicates that weak relationship between school and classroom environments emerged, suggesting that the school environment cannot be assumed to transmit automatically to the classroom.

Assessment of Science Teaching Efficacy of Preservice Teachers in an Australian University.

Research investigating science teaching efficacy was conducted in 1 Australian university. A sample of 314 elementary preservice teachers responded to the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI; L. G. Enochs & I. M. Riggs, 1990), which assesses 2 teaching efficacy dimensions: Personal Science Teaching Efficacy Beliefs (PSTEB) and Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy (STOE). Confirmatory factor analysis substantiated this 2-factor structure. The use of this instrument revealed that the completion of 2 science teaching subjects within the preservice program had a significant effect on the PSTEB, but not the STOE. Similarly, the number of high school science subjects studied by these elementary preservice teachers had a significant effect on PSTEB, but not STOE. However, neither gender nor the particular high school science subjects studied by these elementary preservice teachers had a significant effect on either the PSTEB or the STOE.

Using a New Learning Environment Questionnaire for Reflection in Teacher Action Research.

This article reports the development, validation and use of an instrument designed to provide teachers with feedback information, based on students’ perceptions, about their classroom environments. The instrument was developed to provide teachers with feedback that they could use to reflect on their teaching practices and, in turn, guide the implementation of strategies to improve their learning environments. To determine the validity and reliability of the new instrument, data from 2043 grade 11 and 12 students from 147 classes in 9 schools were analysed. The Rasch model was used to convert data collected using a frequency response scale into interval data that are suitable for parametric analyses. During an action research process, reflective journals, written feedback, discussions at a forum and interviews with eight teachers helped to illuminate the processes used by teachers during action research. This article reports the views of these teachers in general and examines more closely how one of the teachers used student responses to the learning environment questionnaire as a tool for reflection and as a guide in transforming her classroom environment. This case study helped us to gauge the extent to which action research based on students’ perceptions of the learning environment was useful in guiding teachers’ improvements of their classroom learning environments.

Assessing Impediments to Leadership Succession in Australian Catholic Schools.

Evidence from the field indicates that many good candidates are not applying for principalships in Australian Catholic schools. Research aimed at developing an instrument to assess their reasons for not applying was conducted in New South Wales, Australia. A sample of 977 assistant principals, religious education coordinators and other coordinators were used in the evolution of a survey instrument. Scale development procedures resulted in a 32-item questionnaire with 8 underlying scales (namely, Unsupportive External Environment, Systemic Accountability, Lack of Expertise, Personal and Family Impact, Explicit Religious Identity, Gender Bias, Interview Problems, Loss of Close Relationships). Validation data indicated that this instrument--the Impediments to Leadership Succession Inventory--has sound structural characteristics. Use of this instrument revealed that respondents who perceived clear disincentives and systemic and societal devaluing of the work of principals were less inclined to apply for a principalship.

Associations between students' perceptions of classroom environment and academic efficacy in Australian and British secondary schools

Research was conducted on associations between classroom psychosocial environment and academic efficacy. A sample of 2651 mathematics students from Australian and British secondary schools responded to an instrument that assessed ten dimensions of mathematics classroom environment (student cohesiveness, teacher support, investigation, task orientation, cooperation, equity, involvement, personal relevance, shared control, student negotiation). These scales were from two recently developed instruments: What Is Happening In This Classroom? (WIHIC) and the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES). A seven‐item scale assessed students’ academic efficacy at mathematics‐related tasks. Simple and multiple correlation analyses revealed statistically significant correlations between these classroom environment dimensions and academic efficacy. Enhanced classroom environments were associated with higher levels of student academic efficacy. A commonality analysis showed that the three CLES scales did not contribute greatly to explaining variance in academic efficacy beyond that attributed to the seven WIHIC scales.

Leadership Succession in New South Wales Catholic Schools: Identifying potential principals

This article reports research conducted on leadership succession in New South Wales Catholic schools. Using a specially developed instrument, the Impediments to Leadership Succession Inventory (ILSI), hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted using data collected from 943 middle management and senior management staff located in Catholic schools throughout New South Wales. A four cluster solution was accepted. One cluster consisted of 182 respondents who did not see major impediments to becoming a principal in the future. While short-term targeting of this subpopulation could be an effective strategy in the recruitment of principals, it is necessary to address the underlying impediments to leadership succession in New South Wales Catholic schools.

Development and validation of an instrument to assess secondary school students’ perceptions of assessment tasks

Research aimed at developing and validating an instrument to assess secondary school students’ perceptions of assessment tasks was conducted. Following a review of literature, a five‐scale instrument of 40 items was trialled with a sample of 658 science students in 11 English secondary schools. Based on internal consistency reliability data and exploratory factor analysis, refinement decisions resulted in a five‐scale instrument called the Perceptions of assessment tasks inventory (PATI). The scales of the PATI are Congruence with planned learning, Authenticity, Student consultation, Transparency and Diversity.

Psychosocial Environment and Student Self-Handicapping in Secondary School Mathematics Classes: A Cross-National Study.

Research investigating the relationship between classroom environment and self-handicapping was conducted in Australian, Canadian and British secondary schools. Perceptions of classroom environment, self-handicapping and academic efficacy were assessed by 3,602 students from 29 schools. Correlation analyses between ten classroom environment scales from the What Is Happening In This Class (WIHIC) questionnaire and the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) and self-handicapping were conducted with and without control for academic efficacy. Results showed that classroom environment scales accounted for appreciable proportions of variance in self-handicapping beyond that attributable to academic efficacy. Enhanced affective dimensions of the classroom environment were associated with reduced levels of self-handicapping. Commonality analyses revealed that the WIHIC scales accounted for a much greater proportion of variance in self-handicapping that did the CLES scales.