Differentiation as measured by the Classroom Practices Survey: a validity study updating the original instrument Abstract The Classroom Practices Survey assesses educators’ use of differentiated instruction with students achieving at average and high levels. The purposes of this study were to investigate if the Classroom Practices Survey (1) yields reliable and valid data from the groups for which it was originally designed and (2) can be used to evaluate teachers’ differentiation practices for students who achieve at low levels. Participants included 648 elementary teachers who completed the Classroom Practices Survey for students achieving at high, average and low levels. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the original six-factor model was not supported by the current data. Model fit was improved with a four-factor model, but did not reach the recommended values for good model fit. Further research and possibly modifications are needed before this tool is used by researchers and schools. This study highlights the importance of periodically evaluating instruments and revising them if necessary.

Students’ perceptions of mathematics classroom learning environments: measurement and associations with achievement Abstract In this study, we measured students’ perceptions of mathematics classroom learning environment and investigated their associations with students’ achievement. The Mathematics-Related Constructivist-Oriented Classroom Learning Environment Survey (MCOLES) was developed with seven dimensions and 56 items, using theories surrounding classroom learning environment. For a sample of 423 grade 10 students from five schools in India, we validated the MCOLES by exploratory factor analysis and then by confirmatory factor analysis, which suggested the exclusion of 11 items and yielded an 11-factor solution. For achievement on a topic taught, mainly medium correlations emerged with the learning environment factors, suggesting practical implications for classroom teaching. This study is methodologically significant in proposing and validating the new MCOLES for measuring classroom learning environments in secondary-school mathematics.

More than chalkboards: classroom spaces and collaborative learning attitudes Abstract The well-known benefits of collaborative learning have prompted the development of active learning classrooms that are designed to facilitate peer interaction. Given the expense of designing active learning classrooms, examining student perceptions of these learning spaces is critical. Furthermore, it is not well understood how the type of classroom (active learning or traditional lecture) relates to students’ perceptions of collaborative learning. In this study, aviation students (N = 46) were enrolled in the same course taught in the same active-learning manner by the same professor, with one section taught in an active-learning classroom and one taught in a traditional lecture classroom. Relative to the traditional lecture classroom, students perceived the active-learning classroom as being much better suited to collaborative learning and having higher levels of collaborative learning, both in terms of enjoyment and usefulness. Implications for designing learning environments and promoting the value of active learning among students are discussed.

Parental involvement and adolescent school achievement: the mediational role of self-regulated learning Abstract Both parental involvement and self-regulated learning are important predictors of students’ study success. However, previous research on self-regulated learning has focused instead on the school environment and has not focused on the home situation. In particular, investigations into the role of parents in self-regulated learning when children enter middle school have been limited. The present study examined the relationship among students’ perceptions of parental involvement, their self-regulated learning and school achievement in the first year of middle school. Survey data from 5939 Flemish students were processed using mediation analyses and revealed that students’ perceptions of parental involvement in school work was associated with students’ self-regulated learning and their school achievement. Moreover, how students perceived parental involvement was associated with students’ achievement through the self-regulated learning factors. These results underpin the importance of parents in education at the middle-school age. Schools should be aware of this and enhance parents’ educational involvement and the stimulation of self-regulated learning in the home environment.

Educating for innovation: students’ perceptions of the learning environment and of their own innovation competence Abstract Developing students’ innovation competence is becoming increasingly important in higher education, yet few studies have actually investigated whether current learning environments are aimed at promoting this competence and whether students perceive that they have mastered this competence. This study aimed to map students’ perceptions of the learning environment in terms of whether their schools’ curricula were directed towards developing innovation competence and their perceptions of their own innovation competence. A survey was created and administered to 130 students of Built Environment programs at eight Universities of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Students perceived a supportive learning environment for innovation competence only to a limited degree. On the other hand, students rated their own innovation competence moderately highly. Despite positive perceptions of students’ own innovation competence, the learning environment was only to a limited degree aimed at developing innovation competence. The results suggest that universities might need to focus more explicitly and structurally on the teaching and assessment of innovation competence.

A phenomenological exploration of children’s school life and well-being Abstract This phenomenological study explored children’s school life as it relates to their subjective well-being in the United States (N = 22). It was conducted as part of a multinational comparative study of children’s well-being following a semi-structured qualitative interview protocol. Rural and urban children (aged 8–12 years) participated in an interview and mapping exercise that prompted them to illustrate and then describe aspects of and influences on their well-being. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using a phenomenological approach in which child verbal responses and mapped responses were analysed to explore (1) the essence of well-being from children’s perspectives and (2) their perceptions of the role that school life and context played in their well-being. Three main themes emerged. Theme 1 was that school climate is important to their well-being. Subthemes included positive environment, school safety, appropriate teacher dispositions, and supportive programming and policies. Theme 2 was that relationships within the school context are important to their well-being. Subthemes included relationships with teachers, peers and other school personnel. Theme 3 was that children view the school setting as one context, two worlds: academic and social. Subthemes included the importance of academic life, the importance of peer interactions that are unstructured in the school context, and the challenge of academic and peer worlds colliding. Results are discussed in regard to children’s self-report of the hedonic and eudaimonic aspects of their well-being, and in relation to what is currently known about the importance of school environments. Implications, strengths and weaknesses of the study are discussed.

Equity in access? The number of the books available in grade 1, 3 and 5 classroom libraries Abstract In this study, we examined students’ access to text, defined as the number of texts freely available to children in their classrooms. From 60 elementary classrooms across five states, we catalogued the books in first, third and fifth grades in both high- and low-achieving schools (based on state-wide reading test scores) to create a database of more than 50,000 books. From this database, we concluded that the number of books per classroom varied significantly within and between states. However, the quantity of texts available to students did not appear to be related to variations in test scores; 54 of the 60 classrooms surpassed the recommended number of books per child based on previous research; two of the six classrooms that did not were in high-achieving schools. Our conclusion is that classroom libraries can provide children with necessary access to print, but access alone does little to explain differences between states in standardised test scores.

Assessing students’ perceptions of their learning environment in science classes in the United Arab Emirates Abstract As part of major education reform efforts underway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), teachers have been introducing cooperative teaching methods in their science classes. Given the limited research carried out in this context, we aimed to: first, provide evidence to support a modified and translated (Arabic/English) version of a well-known learning environment instrument; and, second, to examine whether relationships exist between the learning environment and students’ attitudes, engagement and science career aspirations in science classes in the unique context of the UAE. The sample included 784 students in 34 lower-secondary science classes in eight public schools in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The findings supported the validity of the dual-language Arabic/English version of the What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) when used in this context. Also all five learning environment scales were statistically significantly (p < 0.01) and positively related to each of eight attitudinal and engagement outcomes. This study has extended past research in the field of learning environments as the first of its kind to investigate the impact of cooperative learning in science classes on a range of student outcomes in the UAE. Methodologically, this study could be of significance to other researchers who might benefit from the availability of an Arabic version of the modified WIHIC for use in other studies.

Associations between school climate and student life satisfaction: resilience and bullying as mediating factors Abstract Because adolescent life satisfaction is associated with important affective, behavioural and health-related outcomes during both adolescence and later life, strategies for promoting adolescent life satisfaction have potential social value. In the study reported in this article, associations are reported between perceptions of the school climate and reports of bullying, resilience and life satisfaction for 6120 Australian adolescents. The study extended past research, which has given little attention to either the relationships between these variables or the relative roles of various school climate sub-constructs. Aspects of the school climate explained 41% of the variance in adolescents’ resilience, 16% of the variance in bully victimisation, and 54% of the variance in life satisfaction. Further, resilience was positively associated with life satisfaction. These results affirm the importance of the psychosocial school climate as a mechanism for improving adolescent (and life-course) outcomes, strengthening calls for schools to give greater attention to improving their psychosocial climates.

Negative instructor communication behaviours: exploring associations between instructor misbehaviours and the classroom learning environment Abstract Given the array of positive outcomes associated with building and maintaining a positive learning environment, the purpose of this study was to explore associations between student perceptions of the classroom learning environment and perceived instructor’s misbehaviours. Several dimensions of the learning environment were found to be associated with how students viewed instructor misbehaviours. These findings provide another unique perspective on the importance of instructor’s communication behaviours and how they can influence students’ overall impressions of the learning environment.