Improving instruction in multicultural classes by using classroom learning environment.

Improving instruction in multicultural classes by using classroom learning environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of assisting science classroom teachers in multicultural mul��ti��cul��tur��al?adj.1. Of, relating to, or including several cultures.2. Of or relating to a social or educational theory that encourages interest in many cultures within a society rather than in only a mainstream culture. classes in obtaining information about student perception of the learning environment and guiding systematic improvement in science classroom environments by using the practical program proposed by Fraser (1981) and Fraser & O'Brien (1985). The instrument used in this study to assess the differences in student perception of ideal and preferred classroom environment was the short form of the My Class Inventory (MCI (1) (Media Control Interface) A high-level programming interface from Microsoft and IBM for controlling multimedia devices. It provides commands and functions to open, play and close the device.(2) (Microwave Communications Inc. ). The study sampled 1216 science students, grades 6-8, from six urban multicultural public schools. Although this study resulted in only four successful attempts out of ten at improving classroom environments, Fraser (1986) reports over 70 successful studies suggesting the potential usefulness of science teachers employing classroom environment instruments to provide meaningful information about their classroom and be guided to improvements in classroom environment. Further study is necessary to determine how effective improvement strategies are in reducing discrepancies between students' actual and preferred environments and the impact of these reductions on achievement of school goals. ********** The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of assisting science classroom teachers in multicultural classes in obtaining information about student perception of the learning environment and guiding systematic improvement in science classroom environments by using the practical program proposed by Fraser (1981) and Fraser & O'Brien (1985). Early classroom environment research has investigated the association between students' cognitive and affective affective/af��fec��tive/ (ah-fek��tiv) pertaining to affect. af��fec��tiveadj.1. Concerned with or arousing feelings or emotions; emotional.2. learning outcomes and their perceptions of psychosocial psychosocial/psy��cho��so��cial/ (si?ko-so��shul) pertaining to or involving both psychic and social aspects. psy��cho��so��cialadj.Involving aspects of both social and psychological behavior. characteristics of their classrooms. More recently, person-environment research has appeared in the fields of business, vocational education vocational education,training designed to advance individuals' general proficiency, especially in relation to their present or future occupations. The term does not normally include training for the professions. and those studying teacher stress (Meir & Tzadok, 2000; Goodman Goodman was a polite term of address, used where Mister (Mr.) would be used today. Compare Goodwife.Goodman refers to:Places goodwife, Mississippi, USA Goodman, Missouri, USA Goodman, Wisconsin, USA & Svyantek, 1999; and Pithers, 1999). Hadi-Tabassum (1999) assessed the nature and quality of student attitudes toward their environment and changed the classroom in order to gain increase academic improvement; "we expanded the notion of a science classroom by making every effort to go beyond the ordinary shape and form of a science classroom in order to nurture NURTURE. The act of taking care of children and educating them: the right to the nurture of children generally belongs to the father till the child shall arrive at the age of fourteen years, and not longer. Till then, he is guardian by nurture. Co. Litt. 38 b. a proliferation proliferation/pro��lif��er��a��tion/ (pro-lif?er-a��shun) the reproduction or multiplication of similar forms, especially of cells.prolif��erativeprolif��erous pro��lif��er��a��tionn. of ideas." Fouts & Myers (1992) performed a replication study replication studyInternal medicine A clinical study that seeks to verify data from a prior study indicating that their significant results added to a growing empirical base indicating that student views are determined, in part, by the classroom environment. The same researchers, in another study, conducted a cluster analysis Cluster analysisA statistical technique that identifies clusters of stocks whose returns are highly correlated within each cluster and relatively uncorrelated across clusters. Cluster analysis has identified groupings such as growth, cyclical, stable, and energy stocks. of 27 science classes and concluded that the dimensions of the classroom environment which make a difference are those that teachers may develop and change. (Myers & Fouts, 1992). Fraser (1989) reviewed over sixty studies in which the effects of classroom environment on science student outcomes were investigated. The findings of the studies suggest that student outcomes can be improved by creating classroom environments which are conducive con��du��cive?adj.Tending to cause or bring about; contributive: working conditions not conducive to productivity.See Synonyms at favorable. to learning. All sixty classroom environment studies reviewed by Fraser (1989) used student perceptual per��cep��tu��aladj.Of, based on, or involving perception. data. None relied on outside observers. This approach is limited by the assumption that the students can render valid judgments about the classroom. Additionally, it has the shortcomings A shortcoming is a character flaw.Shortcomings may also be: Shortcomings (SATC episode), an episode of the television series Sex and the City of questionnaires in general. Questionnaires contain predetermined pre��de��ter��mine?v. pre��de��ter��mined, pre��de��ter��min��ing, pre��de��ter��minesv.tr.1. To determine, decide, or establish in advance: categories and the assumption is made that the students can read and comprehend the statements. Method The instrument used in this study to assess the differences in student perception of ideal and preferred classroom environment was the short form of the My Class Inventory (MCI). It contains only five scales (Cohesiveness, Friction, Difficulty, Satisfaction and Competitiveness). The study sampled 1216 science students, grades 6-8, from six urban multicultural public schools. The sample students were diverse in terms of racial and ethnic backgrounds and all were considered academically at-risk by the school district based on low standardized test A standardized test is a test administered and scored in a standard manner. The tests are designed in such a way that the "questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent" [1] scores, English proficiency pro��fi��cien��cy?n. pl. pro��fi��cien��ciesThe state or quality of being proficient; competence.Noun 1. proficiency - the quality of having great facility and competence (one of the six schools in the study housed the English as a Second Language Unit that was host school for non-English speaking refugee refugee,one who leaves one's native land either because of expulsion or to escape persecution. The legal problem of accepting refugees is discussed under asylum; this article considers only mass dislocations and the organizations that help refugees. children,) and socio-economic-status (based on the number of students on free and reduced meals.) Twelve teachers were involved in the study; six experimental and six control groups completed pretest pre��test?n.1. a. A preliminary test administered to determine a student's baseline knowledge or preparedness for an educational experience or course of study.b. A test taken for practice.2. and posttest post��test?n.A test given after a lesson or a period of instruction to determine what the students have learned. My Class Inventories. Pre-testing was conducted in October followed by post-testing in April of the same academic year. The experimental treatment lasted for approximately two months and consisted of teacher-generated strategies based on feedback developed from student discrepancies on ideal-real versions of the MCI. Person-Environment Fit scores were computed by subtracting real (actual) environment scores from ideal (preferred) scores. The Climate Vector was computed by subtracting the posttest PEF PEFpeak expiratory flow. scores from pretest PEF scores. The treatment given to the experimental group consisted of the feedback from the My Class Inventory (MCI). Profiles derived from the student responses were provided permitting ready identification of the changes needed to reduce major differences between the nature of the actual and preferred environment perceived by the students. The following steps were suggested by Fraser (1981b) and Fraser & O'Brien (1985) to improve environments by providing profiles: assessment, feedback, reflection and discussion, intervention, and reassessment ReassessmentThe process of re-determining the value of property or land for tax purposes.Notes:Property is usually reassessed on an annual basis. You may request a "reassessment" if you disagree with your assessment. . Assessment: Teachers received identical administration instructions directing them to distribute the actual version of the MCI and see that student completed it. After collecting the actual version, they were to administer the preferred version in a like manner. This was to be done during the same class period. Teachers were instructed to read the questionnaire to the students. This was done to prevent reading difficulties from confounding confoundingwhen the effects of two, or more, processes on results cannot be separated, the results are said to be confounded, a cause of bias in disease studies.confounding factor the study. Some of the teachers indicated that they had not read all of the items to all of their students. The preferred and actual forms were administered during the same class period. Feedback: Data were summarized and given to the experimental teachers in profiles representing class means of students' actual and preferred environment scores. Reflection and Discussion: Teachers from the experimental classes received feedback based on discrepancies between student ideal-real pretest scores. The profiles they received consisted of bar graphs comparing the two test scores. Teachers were to reflect upon and discuss the profile with colleagues and the researcher. If a sizable siz��a��blealso size��a��ble ?adj.Of considerable size; fairly large.siza��ble��ness n. pretest difference occurred and the teacher was concerned about the discrepancy DISCREPANCY. A difference between one thing and another, between one writing and another; a variance. (q.v.) 2. Discrepancies are material and immaterial. , then improvement strategies were to be planned. Intervention: The teachers introduced the intervention for approximately two months in an attempt to change the environment. The intervention consisted of a variety of strategies, some from discussions with the researcher and others from examination of the ideas contained in the MCI items. Reassessment: The actual student form of the MCI was re-administered at the end of the intervention to both control and experimental classes. Results The study was composed of a control and experimental group of six classes each. t-tests were used to test group mean differences between student actual and preferred inventories on both experimental and control groups. Group mean differences were compared in the following manner: experimental AND control groups on pretest results only or on posttest only; experimental OR control groups on a retest re��test?tr.v. re��test��ed, re��test��ing, re��testsTo test again.n.A second or repeated test. results only or posttest only; and finally on experimental and control groups on pretest-posttest results. Analysis of variance also tested group mean differences accounting for the effects of group membership (experimental or control) and over time (pretest versus posttest). PEF, Person-Environment Fit Score, as defined in this study, is a numerical score indicating the amount of discrepancy between actual and preferred scores on the MCI. The closer that the PEF score is to zero the better, since this would indicate little variance between what a student would prefer and what the student feels exists in their classroom. This score is determined by subtracting the actual minus the preferred score on both pretest and posttest for both groups. When the posttest PEF score is subtracted from pretest scores, another sum, called the Classroom Climate Vector is determined. The following will illustrate how to arrive at this score. Whenever the MCI is administered: Ideal Score minus Real Score = Person Environment Fit Score (PEF) (first difference) PEF Score minus PEF Score = Climate Vector Score (second difference) A Person-Environment Fit score (PEF) was computed for each student by finding the difference between the scores on the My Class Inventory when students described the "preferred environment" and when they described the "actual environment" for their classes. In the "ideal" classroom, PEF scores would be zero; that is, there would be no difference between the preferred and actual classroom climate. The summary of treatment activities shows that when teachers chose areas for improvement, four directed efforts into two areas while the remaining two teachers chose only one climate dimension for improvement. The classroom environmental improvement strategies included: a. Varying classroom grouping practices (to raise cohesiveness.) b. Redirecting competition from individual to between science groups only (to lower competitiveness.) c. Formation of discussion groups to foster improved social skills and conflict resolution (to raise cohesiveness.) d. Small group meetings to identify learning activities and projects that would raise levels of cooperation and understanding (to lower friction.) e. Implementation of homework grading program and changes of grouping practices (to raise satisfaction.) f. No implementation of any other than normal teacher activity (target climate area was to raise satisfaction.) Teachers received feedback and used it to address a discrepancy on a variable of the MCI. The variable to be addressed should have shown a discrepancy between real and ideal perception in the pretest. Summary The proper interpretation of PEF scores is critical. Teachers should examine and discuss the climate dimensions with corresponding questionnaire items, one by one. A support and assistance program within the process is advised. This would insure Insure can mean: To provide for financial or other mitigation if something goes wrong: see insurance or . Or you may be looking for ensure or inshore. that teachers choose only statistically significant target areas to begin with and that they understood the climate dimension itself. The MCI seems to be a valuable instrument to measure student perception of person-environment fit in classrooms. It can identify discrepancies in classroom person-environment fit and teachers can be given feedback to devise an improvement program, but what activities should the teacher use to reduce PEF scores? This study examined change strategies used by six teachers. Until further research can spell out what strategies are best to improve different climate dimensions the following is proposed for consideration. Teachers seeking to improve the climate in their classroom should be aware of the environmental structures and possible influences on the person-environment fit. In the present study student grouping was attempted in several improvement attempts but was effective in only the Satisfaction dimension. More research is needed to identify effective approaches for addressing other climate dimensions. Principals and supervisors may be able to help teachers improve their classroom environments. The change agent should be the teacher desiring to cause the change. However, environmental improvement is not likely to be improved through administrative mandates. Teachers must feel an ownership in the plan, value it and want to use it in their classes. One support researcher for every teacher change agent would be ideal. Significant pretest profiles should be analyzed an��a��lyze?tr.v. an��a��lyzed, an��a��lyz��ing, an��a��lyz��es1. To examine methodically by separating into parts and studying their interrelations.2. Chemistry To make a chemical analysis of.3. and target dimensions identified together. Other supportive steps outlined earlier would improve the likelihood of success. Fraser (1989) views the process as a cycle. The five steps, assessment, feedback, reflection/discussion, intervention and reassessment can be repeated one or more times until changes in the classroom environment reach the desired level. Although this study resulted in only four successful attempts out of ten at improving classroom environments, Fraser (1986) reports over 70 successful studies suggesting the potential usefulness of science teachers employing classroom environment instruments to provide meaningful information about their classroom and be guided to improvements in classroom environment. Teachers will feel less pressured if they are aware of the cyclical cyclicalOf or relating to a variable, such as housing starts, car sales, or the price of a certain stock, that is subject to regular or irregular up-and-down movements. nature of the process. If they do not succeed in reducing PEF score during the first attempt, they can try again later. Theories of environmental structure and target students (Tobin and Gallagher, 1986) should be offered as in-service training to the teachers. Implications The following are some implications of the study for teachers. They need to be aware of classroom climate and the need for responsiveness to student perception of that environment. This can be accomplished by the use of the MCI and Fraser's (1981b) improvement plan. With support, during the improvement plan to address implementation concerns covered earlier, teachers can become change agents in their own classrooms. The body of research in this field clearly ties student achievement to classroom climate (Fraser, 1989). What is needed in future research is better descriptions of teachers' uses of the MCI and resulting feedback for practical, school-based purposes. Effective classroom environment improvement strategies are needed as well as confirmation of the usefulness of cooperative learning cooperative learningEducation theory A student-centered teaching strategy in which heterogeneous groups of students work to achieve a common academic goal–eg, completing a case study or a evaluating a QC problem. See Problem-based learning, Socratic method. situations in science classrooms. Fraser's (1989) proposal for deliberate change in classroom environment to establish clearer relationships to student outcome is repeated here. Also, linkage linkageIn mechanical engineering, a system of solid, usually metallic, links (bars) connected to two or more other links by pin joints (hinges), sliding joints, or ball-and-socket joints to form a closed chain or a series of closed chains. is needed between classroom climate and important aspects of schooling. Climate and its relationship to pupil outcome is a needed area for study as well as classroom climate and its relationship to social goals. Also, studies are needed to determine how problem solving problem solvingProcess involved in finding a solution to a problem. Many animals routinely solve problems of locomotion, food finding, and shelter through trial and error. and critical thinking are affected by classroom environment. Is there a relationship between higher order thinking skills The concept of higher order thinking skills became a major educational agenda item with the 1956 publication of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives.The simplest thinking skills are learning facts and recall, while higher order skills include critical thinking, and aspects of classroom climate? Current thought encourages mainstreaming of special education students. Special education classroom environment studies are needed to see if there are climate relationships between special education and mainstreamed classes. Further study is necessary to determine how effective improvement strategies are in reducing discrepancies between students' actual and preferred environments and the impact of these reductions on achievement of school goals. References Fisher, D. L., & Fraser, B. J. (1981). Validity and use of the my class inventory (MCI). Science Education, 65, 145-156. Chavez, R. C. (1984). 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NARST NARST National Association for Research in Science Teaching (Canada)Monograph, Number Two. Western Australia Western Australia,state (1991 pop. 1,409,965), 975,920 sq mi (2,527,633 sq km), Australia, comprising the entire western part of the continent. It is bounded on the N, W, and S by the Indian Ocean. Perth is the capital. : Curtin University of Technology. Fraser, B. J., Anderson, G. J., & Walberg, H. J. (1982). Assessment of learning environments: Manual for learning environment inventory (LEI) and my class inventor INVENTOR. One who invents or finds out something. 2. The patent laws of the United States authorize a patent to be issued to the original inventor; if the invention is suggested by another, he is not the inventor within the meaning of those laws; but in that 3, (MCI). Western Australia: Curtin Institute of Technology. Fraser, B. J., & Fisher, D. L. (1986). 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An instance of this: "What an extraordinary congruence of genius and era" . Journal of Career Assessment, 8, 147-158. Myers, R. & Fours, J. (1992) A cluster analysis of high school science classroom environments and attitudes toward science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29, 929-937. Pithers, R.T. (1999) Person-environment fit and teacher stress. Educational Research, 41, 51-61. Surrey Surrey,county (1991 pop. 997,000), 653 sq mi (1,691 sq km), SE England. The county seat is Guildford. The North Downs cross the county from east to west. To the north the land slopes gently downward to the Thames, into which flow the Wey and the Mole, Surrey's , C. & Roth, W. (1999). Student self-evaluations of open-ended projects in a grade 9 science classroom. Research in Science Education, 29, 431-443. Walberg, H. J. (1987). Learning environments reconsidered: Educational productivity and talent development. In B. Fraser (Ed.), The Study of Learning Environments Volume Three. Perth: Curtin University of Technology. Dr. Thomas Diamantes, Faculty, Wright State University. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dr. Thomas Diamantes, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435.