A Cross-National Study of Secondary Science Classroom Environments in Australia and Indonesia

This article reports a cross-national study of classroom environments in Australia and Indonesia. A modified version of the What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire was used simultaneously in these two countries to: 1) crossvalidate the modified WIHIC; 2) investigate differences between countries and sexes in perceptions of classroom environment; and 3) investigate associations between students’ attitudes to science and their perceptions of classroom environment. The sample consisted of 1,161 students (594 students from 18 classes in Indonesia and 567 students from 18 classes in Australia). Principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation supported the validity of a revised structure for the WIHIC. Two-way MANOVA revealed some differences between countries and between sexes in students’ perceptions of their classroom environments. Simple correlation and multiple regression analyses revealed generally positive associations between the classroom environment and student attitudes to science in both countries.

[1]  Campbell J. McRobbie,et al.  Associations Between Student Outcomes and Psychosocial Science Environment , 1993 .

[2]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS RESEARCH: YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW , 2002 .

[3]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  Changes in Learning Environment during the Transition from Primary to Secondary School , 1998 .

[4]  Darrell L. Fisher,et al.  Technology-Rich Learning Environments: A Future Perspective , 2003 .

[5]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  Classroom Learning Environments , 2003 .

[6]  New Directions For Teaching Practice and Research , 1999 .

[7]  R. Brislin.  Back-Translation for Cross-Cultural Research , 1970 .

[8]  Kenneth Tobin,et al.  International handbook of science education , 1998 .

[9]  M. A. Escotet.  Cross-Cultural Research Methodology in Education. , 1973 .

[10]  L. Spencer,et al.  My Class Inventory-Short Form as an Accountability Tool for Elementary School Counselors to Measure Classroom Climate: , 2005 .

[11]  Herbert J. Walberg,et al.  Educational environments and effects : evaluation, policy, and productivity , 1979 .

[12]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  Investigating the Learning Environment in Canadian Mathematics and Science Classrooms in Which Laptop Computers Are Used , 2002 .

[13]  Norman G. Lederman,et al.  Handbook of Research on Science Education , 2023 .

[14]  Darrell L. Fisher,et al.  Contemporary Approaches to Research on Learning Environments Worldviews , 2006 .

[15]  Daniel J. Mueller.  Measuring Social Attitudes: A Handbook for Researchers and Practitioners , 1986 .

[16]  B. Fraser,et al.  Learning environments in information and communications technology classrooms , 2004 .

[17]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  Using classroom psychosocial environment in the evaluation of adult computer application courses in Singapore , 2008 .

[18]  H. Munby.  Issues of Validity in Science Attitude Measurement. , 1997 .

[19]  Bruce Thompson,et al.  Book Reviews , 1998 .

[20]  Benjamin S. Bloom,et al.  Handbook On Formative and Summative Evaluation of Student Learning , 1971 .

[21]  H. Nielsen,et al.  Educational environments and effects: edited by Herbert J. Walberg, Berkeley, Calif. : McCutchan, 1979, 419pp., $15.20 (hardcover). , 1980 .

[22]  Jacob Cohen.  Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences , 1969, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.

[23]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  A Multilevel Analysis of Learning Environments and Student Attitudes , 1997 .

[24]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  The Birth of a New Journal: Editor's Introduction , 1998 .

[25]  Kenneth Tobin,et al.  Qualitative and Quantitative Landscapes of Classroom Learning Environments , 1998 .

[26]  Herbert J. Walberg,et al.  CLASSROOM CLIMATE AND INDIVIDUAL LEARNING. , 1968 .

[27]  W. Crano,et al.  Attitudes and persuasion. , 2006, Annual review of psychology.

[28]  Rudolf H. Moos,et al.  Manual : classroom environment scale , 1974 .

[29]  T. Husén,et al.  The International Encyclopedia of Education , 1994 .

[30]  S. Simon,et al.  Attitudes towards science: A review of the literature and its implications , 2003 .

[31]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  Classroom Environment Instruments: Development, Validity and Applications , 1998 .

[32]  J. Stevens,et al.  Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences , 1993 .

[33]  B. Fraser,et al.  Learning Environment, Attitudes and Achievement among Middle-school Science Students Using Inquiry-based Laboratory Activities , 2008 .

[34]  Herbert J. Walberg,et al.  Educational environments : evaluation, antecedents and consequences , 1991 .

[35]  Darrell L. Fisher,et al.  Predicting Students’ Outcomes from Their Perceptions of Classroom Psychosocial Environment , 1982 .

[36]  Jill M. Aldridge,et al.  Outcomes-Focused Learning Environments: Determinants and Effects , 2008 .

[37]  Darrell L. Fisher,et al.  Classroom Environment and Teacher Interpersonal Behaviour in Secondary Science Classes in Korea , 2000 .

[38]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  Learning Environment and Attitudes Associated with an Innovative Science Course Designed for Prospective Elementary Teachers , 2007 .

[39]  Jill M. Aldridge,et al.  Using students' assessment of classroom environment to develop a typology of secondary school classrooms , 2006 .

[40]  Bruce Thompson,et al.  Five Methodology Errors in Educational Research: The Pantheon of Statistical Significance and Other Faux Pas. , 1998 .

[41]  Jeffrey P. Dorman,et al.  Cross-National Validation of the What is Happening in this Class? (WIHIC) Questionnaire using Confirmatory Factor Analysis , 2003 .

[42]  H. Munby.  An Investigation into the Measurement of Attitudes in Science Education. , 1983 .

[43]  Jill M. Aldridge,et al.  Using teacher action research to promote constructivist learning environments in South Africa , 2004 .

[44]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  Learning environment, attitudes and conceptual development associated with innovative strategies in middle-school mathematics , 2007 .

[45]  B. Fraser,et al.  Use of classroom environment assessments in school psychology: A British perspective , 1993 .

[46]  R. Koul,et al.  Cultural Background and Students’ Perceptions of Science Classroom Learning Environment and Teacher Interpersonal Behaviour in Jammu, India , 2005 .

[47]  Molly E. Romano,et al.  Online discussion as a potential professional development tool for first‐year teachers , 2008 .

[48]  Frank H. Farley,et al.  Psychology and education : the state of the union , 1981 .

[49]  B. Fraser.  Science Learning Environments: Assessment, Effects and Determinants , 1998 .

[50]  Wahyudi,et al.  The Status of Science Classroom Learning Environments in Indonesian Lower Secondary Schools , 2004 .

[51]  G. Stern,et al.  People in context : measuring person-environment congruence in education and industry , 1971 .

[52]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  Environment--Attitude Associations in the Chemistry Laboratory Classroom , 1996 .

[53]  Norman Reid,et al.  Thoughts on attitude measurement , 2006 .

[54]  H. Murray,et al.  Explorations in Personality , 2007 .

[55]  B. McGaw,et al.  Empirical Validation of the Conceptual Structure of a Test of Science-Related Attitudes , 1981 .

[56]  Mj Osborn.  International Encyclopaedia of Teaching and Teacher Education , 1997 .

[57]  Kathryn Scantlebury,et al.  Design, validation, and use of an evaluation instrument for monitoring systemic reform , 2001 .

[58]  B. Fraser,et al.  Student perceptions of psycho-social environment in classrooms of exemplary science teachers , 1989 .

[59]  den Pj Perry Brok,et al.  Turkish secondary education students' perceptions of their classroom learning environment and their attitude towards Biology , 2006 .

[60]  K. Khalili.  A crosscultural validation of a test of science related attitudes , 1987 .

[61]  Richard W. Brislin,et al.  Cross-Cultural Research in Psychology , 1983 .

[62]  B. Fraser,et al.  A comparison of actual and preferred classroom environments as perceived by science teachers and students , 1983 .

[63]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  Classroom environment, achievement, attitudes and self-esteem in geography and mathematics in Singapore , 2009 .

[64]  A. Yarrow,et al.  Smile: Student Modification in Learning Environments. Establishing Congruence between Actual and Preferred Classroom Learning Environment. , 1995 .

[65]  David B. Zandvliet,et al.  Physical and Psychosocial Environments Associated with Networked Classrooms , 2005 .

[66]  J. Stevens.  Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences , 1986 .

[67]  Mieke Brekelmans,et al.  Interpersonal Teacher Behaviour and Student Outcomes , 2004 .

[68]  Jeffrey P. Dorman.  Use of multitrait-multimethod modelling to validate actual and preferred forms of the What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire , 2008 .

[69]  Herbert J. Walberg,et al.  Socio‐psychological Environments and Learning: a quantitative synthesis , 1981 .

[70]  Jill M. Aldridge,et al.  A Cross-cultural Study of Classroom Learning Environments in Australia and Taiwan , 2000 .

[71]  Karen Jones,et al.  Developing Attitudes towards Science Measures , 2007 .

[72]  R. Gonzalez.  Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences , 2003 .

[73]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  Parent and student perceptions of classroom learning environment and its association with student outcomes , 2007 .

[74]  B. Fraser,et al.  Relationship between perceived levels of classroom individualization and science‐related attitudes , 1982 .

[75]  Jill M. Aldridge,et al.  Investigating Classroom Environments in Taiwan and Australia With Multiple Research Methods , 1999 .

[76]  Barry J. Fraser,et al.  Development of a test of science‐related attitudes , 1978 .

[77]  Stephen J. Farenga,et al.  Informal Science Experience, Attitudes, Future Interest in Science, and Gender of High-Ability Students: An Exploratory Study , 1999 .