Discriminating Student Learning and Efficacy Levels in Higher Education: Contributions of Classroom Environment and Teaching and Learning Effectiveness.

This study examined the contribution of classroom learning environment and teaching and learning effectiveness variables to student learning and learning efficacy in higher education settings. It attempted to identify classroom environment characteristics that differentiate highand lowacademic-efficacy student groups and the teaching and learning effectiveness variables that differentiate these groups. Also examined were how these variables differentiate levels of student course evaluations and the emphasis given in class to the development of higher-order thinking skills. Subjects were all students (n=2,190) in 145 classes offered through the evening continuing education program at Louisiana State University during the 1996 fall semester. Students completed the Student Assessment of Teaching and Learning measure and the newly developed Personal Learning Environment Measure and Student Learning Efficacy Assessment. Findings clearly indicated that student academic self-efficacy was more potent in differentiating course and learning outcomes than either students' perceptions of elements of the classroom environment or their views about their personal motivation/involvement in learning and the general quality of teaching. Other findings suggested that the three instruments used were effective in evaluating the quality of teaching and learning environments. The data collection packet is appended. (Contains 51 references.) (DB) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** 00 Discriminating Student Learning and Efficacy Levels in Higher Education: Contributions (.A of Classroom Environment and Teaching and Learning Effectiveness U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EITCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) kV This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. John K. Rugutt Chad D. Ellett Rita R. Culross Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY John K. Rugutt TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southwest Educational Research Association, Houston, Texas January 1998 BEST COPY AVAILABLE 1 Discriminating Student Learning and Efficacy Levels in Higher Education: Contributions of Classroom Environment and Teaching and Learning Effectiveness The quality of undergraduate teaching and learning environments on college/university campuses is a continuing national concern. The recent call to "reaffirm teaching as the university's primary task" (Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching) emphasizes the importance of improving undergraduate teaching and learning environments. Traditionally, college teaching and courses have been evaluated through the use of student ratings and reviews of the literature (e.g., Aleamoni, 1987; Centra, 1993) provide considerable support for this procedure, particularly when such information is used for formative evaluation purposes. While important, student ratings of faculty and course characteristics alone are not sufficient to provide a basis for developing theory rich models of teaching and learning in higher education settings. In addition, they provide little basis for broadening our understanding of the complexity of teaching and learning, learning environment characteristics and student-related variables as these contribute to the enhancement of student learning. Development of student assessments of college teaching to include information about the enhancement of student learning has recently been cited as a critical evaluation need in higher education settings (McKeachie & Kaplan,