Jill M. Aldridge

Investigating Classroom Environments in Taiwan and Australia With Multiple Research Methods

Multiple research methods from different paradigms were used in this interpretive study to explore the nature of classroom environments in a cross-national study involving Taiwan and Australia. When English and Mandarin versions of a questionnaire assessing student perceptions of 7 dimensions of the classroom learning environment were administered to 50 classes in each country, data analysis supported the reliability and factorial validity of the questionnaire and revealed differences between Taiwanese and Australian classroom environments. The data provided a starting point from which other methods (such as observations, interviews, and narrative stories) were used to gain a more in-depth understanding of the classroom environments in each country. Findings are represented in the form of stories and interpretive commentaries.

Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Students’ Motivation and Self‐Regulation in Science Learning

Students’ motivational beliefs and self‐regulatory practices have been identified as instrumental in influencing the engagement of students in the learning process. An important aim of science education is to empower students by nurturing the belief that they can succeed in science learning and to cultivate the adaptive learning strategies required to help to bring about that success. This article reports the development and validation of an instrument to measure salient factors related to the motivation and self‐regulation of students in lower secondary science classrooms. The development of the instrument involved identifying key determinants of students’ motivation and self‐regulation in science learning based on theoretical and research underpinnings. Once the instrument was developed, a pilot study involving 52 students from two Grade 8 science classes was undertaken. Quantitative data were collected from 1,360 students in 78 classes across Grades 8, 9, and 10, in addition to in‐depth qualitative information gathered from 10 experienced science teachers and 12 Grade 8 students. Analyses of the data suggest that the survey has strong construct validity when used with lower secondary students. This survey could be practically valuable as a tool for gathering information that may guide classroom teachers in refocusing their teaching practices and help to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programmes.

Development and Validation of an Instrument to Monitor the Implementation of Outcomes‐based Learning Environments in Science Classrooms in South Africa

This article describes the development and validation of an instrument that can be used to assess students’ perceptions of their learning environment as a means of monitoring and guiding changes towards outcomes‐based education. In the first phase, data collected from 2638 Grade 8 science students from 50 classes in 50 schools in the Limpopo Province of South Africa were analysed to provide evidence about the reliability and validity of the new instrument. In the second phase, two case studies were used to investigate whether profiles of class mean scores on the new instrument could provide an accurate and “trustworthy” description of the learning environment of individual science classes. The study makes significant contributions to the field of learning environments in that it is one of the first major studies of its kind in South Africa and because the instrument developed captures important aspects of the learning environment associated with outcomes‐based education.

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 Students' Views of School Climate: Developing and Validating the What's Happening in This School? (WHITS) Questionnaire.

This article describes the development and validation of a six-scale survey to assess school climate in terms of students’ perceptions of the degree to which they feel welcome and connected, together with a scale to assess students’ perceptions of bullying. The development of each survey involved a multi-stage approach, including: 1) an extensive review of research related to school climate to identify components that can be considered important for effective schools made up of diverse students; 2) elucidating the scales identified in step one; and 3) writing individual items within the scales. Items from previously validated questionnaires were examined and, if appropriate, adapted. We used Trochim and Donnelly’s (2006) framework for construct validity to guide the validation of the new questionnaire. When the questionnaire was administered to a sample of 4067 high school students from eight schools, various statistical analyses ensured the questionnaire’s discriminant, convergent, concurrent and predictive validity.

Students’ perceptions of school climate as determinants of wellbeing, resilience and identity

This study examined the relations between school climate variables and students’ feeling of wellbeing, life satisfaction, ethnic identity, moral identity and resilience. Furthermore, the study also examined the interrelationships between these five outcome variables. Six aspects of the school climate were measured: teacher support, peer connectedness, school connectedness, affirming diversity, rule clarity and reporting and seeking help. The participants included 2202 students, the data from whom included 2122 cases that were complete and usable (1058 boys and 1059 girls) from six public high schools in Perth, Western Australia. These data were analysed by means of structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis. All six school climate factors were related to student wellbeing. These relations were primarily indirect (with the exception of teacher support, school connectedness and affirming diversity which had a direct influence), mediated through the students’ sense of ethnic and moral identity, resilience and life satisfaction.

Outcomes-Focused Learning Environments

In countries around the world, there has been much attention given to the benefits and problems related to outcomes-focused education. Although the media, politicians, educators and parents all seem to have opinions about outcomes-focused education, unfortunately, very little of this is based on any evidence. The dearth of literature and research related to the implementation of outcomes-focused education makes it difficult for various stakeholders to make informed decisions and to form opinions that go beyond anecdotal or subjective information. Consequently, this study at a senior college in Western Australia was initiated for the purpose of monitoring the evolution of the learning environment as administrative staff and teachers implemented an outcomes-focused learning environment. This chapter reviews the concept and principles of outcomes-focused learning environments. The chapter then focuses on the successes and challenges of an innovative new post-compulsory secondary school in Western Australia which was committed to creating an outcomes-focused curriculum. Major research aims included: (1) developing and validating the Technology-Rich Outcomes-Focused Learning Environment Inventory TROFLEI; and (2) evaluating the effectiveness of educational programs at the school in terms of classroom environment.

Investigating the differential effectiveness of a teacher professional development programme for rural and urban classrooms in Indonesia

This article reports on the differential effectiveness of a teacher professional development programme for teachers in urban and rural schools in Indonesia. The study employed an embedded mixed methods design that involved the concurrent collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative component involved a pre–post design in which two surveys were administered to a sample of 2417 students drawn from 66 classes in 32 lower secondary schools (960 from urban schools and 1457 from rural schools). The qualitative component involved six case study teachers and two students from each of their classes. Qualitative information was gathered using teacher and student interviews, classroom observations and teacher reflective journals. The quantitative results suggested that there were disparities between the usefulness of the knowledge and skills imparted during the programme for teachers in urban and rural schools. The themes that emerged from the data gathered using qualitative methods helped to make sense of the differences in student scores in urban and rural schools before and after the teacher professional development programme.

A new tool for practitioner-led evaluation of teacher professional development

Abstract Schools and education systems are being challenged to improve the evaluation of teacher professional development, yet there is a lack of practical tools for doing so. This article describes the development and validation of a new instrument to assess teachers’ perceptions of the impact of professional development. This instrument, designed to be time- and cost-effective, was theoretically grounded and, as evidenced by the results reported in this article, psychometrically sound. The instrument was completed twice (examining different types of professional development) by 393 teachers. The results for both data-sets demonstrated a strong factor structure with good internal consistency for all scales. Further data analysis indicated that the scales could effectively distinguish between the experiences of different groups of teachers. The finalised instrument, named the Impact of Teacher Professional Development Questionnaire, is presented in full, and the practical advantages and limitations of the instrument are discussed.

Student voice, teacher action research and classroom improvement

This book describes a large-scale research program which investigated the feasibility of using student perceptual measures as the basis for teacher development and classroom improvement. The book describes how teachers’ use of the student feedback, as part of an action-research process, was used to guide improvements to their respective classrooms which in turn provided them with increased opportunities for teacher development and growth. In addition to this, it reports the efforts of one school which purposefully linked the involvement of their teachers to their school improvement initiatives.