TOPIC: A STUDY
ON POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT
Neethu Joseph
Student, CTEVaikom.
ABSTRACT:
This study examined the relationship between the positive
learning environment and student’s achievement. The literature suggests that
recent years have shown an increase in demand for child care facilities that
can contribute to the educational environment of young children. The physical
environment in the school setting influences a child’s behavior. Although there
is deficiency in environment and behavior studies regarding the impact of the
classroom arrangement on behavior, shows an impact of the environment on
behavior in education settings.
POSITIVE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT AND STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT
INTRODUCTION
The classroom environment is an important aspect of
classroom management. Properly engaging students in the classroom can foster a
positive environment. This study examines the social and emotional needs of
students and its implications in developing a positive classroom. The problem
is that teachers have difficulty in controlling student’s behavior in the
classroom. Understanding the social and emotional components in student
behavior is important in developing a constructive and positive environment for
learning.
Today one of the
important issues for teachers is dealing with confrontational and uncooperative
learners in the classroom. Undoubtedly, keeping discipline and active involvement
of learns is a legitimate and still discussed problem that teachers have to
face in almost all type of schools, particularly in secondary classes.
The aim of my study is to discover how to provide an
effective classroom environment and the effective solution to decrease the
disruptive and uncooperative behavior as well as lack of concentration and
motivations of secondary school learners. The study dealt with the areas such
as school. ‘How a positive classroom environment affect the performance of a
student’; its characteristics; the major problems behind the lack of positive
classroom environment and the useful strategy; ideas and methodological
approaches to reducing the discipline problems.
THEORETICAL OVERVIEW
Creating a positive classroom environment is a concern that
all teachers face. When students exhibit disruptive behavior in the classroom,
teachers find it difficult to carry on with instruction. If a teacher is giving
a lesson and students descripts the class, then everyone get distracted
sometimes schools still use physical punishment as a form of discipline. This
could lead to students becoming disinterested and unmotivated in school. A
positive classroom environment helps keep the class in order, still a difficult
goal for teachers achieve.
Classroom or learning environment is an important place of a
student. Students need an engaging, stimulating, and enriching learning
environment to grow and trine. However, it is defined virtually all teachers
and administrators, and even students, themselves recognize how valuable a
positive classroom climate is to learning. The classroom management and
structure, positive classroom climate, talk etc. Are the factors affecting a
good learning environment.
1. Intellectual
Factor
The term refers to the individual mental level. Success in
school is generally close related to level of intellect pupils with how
intelligence of ten encounter serious difficulty in mastering school work.
2. Learning Factor
Factors owing to lack of mastery of what has been taught,
faculty methods of work or study, and awareness of experimental background may
affect the learning process of any pupil. If the school proceeds to rapidly and
does not constantly check upon the extent to which the pupil is mastering what
is being taught, the pupil accumulates a no, of deficiencies that interfere
with successful progress.
3. Physical Factor
Under this group we included factors such as health,
physical development, nutrition, visual and Physical defects, and
glandular abnormality. It is generally recognized that health retards, Physical and motor development and malnutrition interfere with learning and physical
growth.
4 .Environmental Factors
Physical conditions needed for learning is
under environmental factor. One of the factors that affect the efficiency of learning is the
condition in which learning takes place. This includes the classrooms,
textbook, equipment, school supplies and other instructional material.
A classroom being such an
important in the growth of a child. It is important to understand the ways in
which to affect this environment in order to receive maximum effectiveness in
instruction. There were many things that can affect a positive learning
environment. There are physical elements such as wall art, arrangement of desks
or resources. Also, there are intangible elements such as the energy of the
classroom, the rules or the sounds within the room. Each of these can impact a
student’s focus and achievement in the class. They can also affect a teacher’s
attitude in the class.
NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
Classroom environment is one of the most important factors
affecting students learning. Student learn better when they view the learning
environment or positive and supportive. A positive environment is one in which
students feel a sense of belonging, trust others, and feel encouraged to take
challenges, take risks, and ask questions. Such an environment provides relevant
content, clear learning goals and feedback, opportunities to build social
skills and strategies to help students succeed.
The influence of environment begins since the time of the
conception of the child in the womb of the mother. Foetus in the womb is
influenced by mother’s mental, physical and emotional conditions. The external
environment starts from the time of birth of the child. The external
environment refers to the surroundings which prevail in home, school and
locality. At these places the child interacts with other members of the family,
teachers, classmates or peers and neighbor’s. This study was conducted to
investigate what are the factors affecting the positive learning environment. A
positive classroom atmosphere is essential for students to learn and develop.
This study shows that a positive atmosphere increases student academic achievements
and lead to increased self-esteem. This study was conducted on St. LTGHS.
Vaikom, and aimed to study the learning environment of this school. Positive
learning environment can be acquired only by the co-operative effort of
teachers and students. By setting a positive example for our students using
positive reinforcement to promote positive behavior and it can turn the
classroom into a positive learning environment.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The learning environment encompasses more than just the
classroom learning and teaching take place. Many factors contribute the
learning environment. Including student, teachers, parents, school staff etc.
If the factors are functioning in an improper way. It will negatively affect
the classroom environment. As a part of our B.Ed. curriculum, we held a
teaching practice session at St. L.T.G.H.S.Vaikom. During that time we identified
the problems that is negatively contributing to the positive learning of the
school. There are no mandatory measures to overcome this difficulties. In this
backdrop, I conducted a project entitled as ‘A STUDY ON POSITIVE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT AND STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT’.
OBJECTIVES OF THE
STUDY
- To find out the type of learning environment in the school.
- To determine how the learning environment affect the achievement of the student.
- To identify the reasons behind the lack of positive learning environment.
METHODOLOGY IN BRIEF
The method adopted for this present study is survey. The
samples were collected from high school students of St.L.T.G.H.S Vaikom and it
includes 50 students of std.1X. The tool used for the present study was
inventory. The inventory consists of two sessions. First session includes
general information and the second one includes ‘Statements’. It is a 3 point
scale and it consists of fifteen statements. The scoring key was up to 4, 3, 2.
The maximum score was 60 and the minimum score is zero.
ANALYSIS OF DATA
The investigator conducted this study regarding positive
learning environment and the student’s achievement. The investigator collected
data based on this study. The analysis of data is presented below.
1. In order to
find out the type of learning environment in school, the investigator conducted
an interview and details are given below.
Problem
Identified
|
Proper
|
Improper
|
Seating Arrangements
|
√
|
|
Room Design
|
√
|
|
Wall Design
|
√
|
|
Proper Light Arrangement
|
√
|
|
Position Of The Classroom
|
√
|
|
Playground Facilities
|
√
|
|
Attitude Of Teachers
|
√
|
|
Roofing Arrangement
|
√
|
2. In order to find out the relationship
between learning environment and students achievement, the investigator
collected the term achievement score of students and data’s obtained are
presented in table below. The table is showing the term exam scores of students.
Category
|
Score
|
No. of pupil belongs to each
class
|
Percentage of students in each
class
|
poor
|
0-10
|
11
|
22%
|
Below average
|
10-20
|
10
|
20%
|
Average
|
20-30
|
18
|
36%
|
Above Average
|
30-40
|
9
|
18%
|
Excellent
|
40-50
|
2
|
4%
|
Total
|
50
|
100%
|
From the table, it is clear that only 45% students acquired
the better achievement. ie, between 40-50 score range. About 18% of students belongs
to 30-40 score range. Most of the students (36%) belongs to the average
category. i.e., between 20-30. About 22% of students seem to
be poor in their achievement.
The investigators also conducted interview with students
regarding class room environment and achievement. From the interview, it was
clear that those who obtained better achievement in academic subjects have
better learning environment.
3. To identify
the reasons behind the lack of positive learning, the investigator analyze the
responses of each problems and percentage are given below.
Problem
|
Satisfied
People
|
%
|
Seating arrangement
|
4
|
8%
|
Room design
|
15
|
30%
|
Wall design
|
25
|
50%
|
Proper light arrangement
|
37
|
74%
|
Position of the classroom
|
20
|
40%
|
Playground facilities
|
18
|
36%
|
Attitude of teachers
|
20
|
4%
|
Roofing arrangement
|
14
|
28%
|
From the analysis, it is clear that the students are not
fully satisfied with overall arrangement. Among them, 74% of students almost
satisfied with proper light arrangement. About 50% of students satisfied with
wall design. About 40% of students are satisfied with position of the class
room and attitude of teachers. About 30% and 36% of students are only satisfied
with room design and playground facilities respectively. It is a pathetic condition
that only 3% students are satisfied with seating arrangement. The analysis
clearly identifies the reason behind the lack of positive learning environment.
The reasons behind the lack of positive learning environment are `SEATING
ARRANGEMENT, ROOM DESIGN, WALL DESIGN PROPER LIGHT ARRANGEMENT, POSITION OF THE
CLASSROOM, PLAYGROUND FACILITIES, ATTITUDE OF TEACHERS AND ROOFING ARRANGEMENT’.
FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
The standard for many classrooms today is to have desk
aligned in rows within the classroom. This system of arrangement seems to make
students lose focus and create a higher number of disruptions in the
classrooms. This structure does not encourage interaction between students and
focuses more on the student as an individual completing their classmates their own
work. Human are social creatures that want attention and if they aren’t going
to be able to get attention from their teachers.
One of the area that make a noticeable impact on student’s
success is the physical environment of the classroom. This can pertain to a
variety of details .It can be structure, resources, color. All of these can
play a role in determining whether the classroom will be active for learning. Each
may not have a large effect individually, however together they can work to
strengthen a student’s ability to learn.
Another way to modify the seating arrangement is to organize
the desks in a circle around the classroom. This will work better with smaller
class sizes, but can still be used occasionally in others. This strategy works
well with promoting public speaking and classroom debate. It engages students. Because
the all become the one member of the same group. They are prone to listen more
actively and make more eye contact with the person who is speaking. In this
model, the teacher has to make sure to create an environment where students
feel invited to share their views without the fear of judgment.
CONCLUSION
Overall the classroom environment plays a crucial role in
keeping students engaged and allowing them to be successful within the
classroom. The teacher can modify the environment to achieve these results.
There is a multitude of ways in which to do this. They can arrange the desks in
different patterns. They can decorate the walls with difference assignments or
items. Students can be used to help lead the classroom. In the way that the
teacher wants to go. Even adapting the lighting or the temperature of the room
can increase the effectiveness of instruction in the classroom. A good teacher
is take care of these elements and the importance that they play in student
success without giving attention to the environment of a classroom the teacher
is setting their students up to be less successful.
SUGGESTIONS
2. Always be positive.
3. Model good social skills.
4. Avoid negative reinforcement.
5. Keep your classroom organized.
REFERENCE
- Black P. and D. William, Assessment and classroom learning, Assessment in education,1998.
- Emmer. ET, effect of classroom social climate on individual learning, Journal 1970.
- Brophy. J, motivating students to learn, 2004.
