Personal Notes

Developments in the study of Learning Environment

Based on some of the readings, I tried to summarize some of the developments in the study of Learning Environment to ease my understanding.

Lewin (1935, 1936) and Murray (1938)

• theoretical philosophy
• consequent conceptual foundations

1920s Social psychologists

• developed low-inference
• direct observational techniques of measuring classroom climate

Lewin

• Behaviour: function of the person and the environment

Murray (1938)

• needs-press model later popularised by Pace & Stern

Stern (1970)

• theory of person-environment congruence
• student outcomes are enhanced by combinations of personal needs and environment

Walberg (1970)

• perceptions of classroom environment
• none focused on educational settings
• none provided linkages between climate and educational outcomes

Pace & Stern (1958)

• focused on whole institution of higher education instead of environment of specific classrooms

Walberg & Moos (1960s)

• research into learning environments
• survey on students' perception to measure teacher effectiveness
• cost-effective compared to classroom observations

Instruments Developed

Walberg

• Learning Environment Inventory (LEI)
• Harvard Project Physics
• influenced by theoretical writings of Gretzels and Thelen which viewed class as a social system

Moos

• developed social climate scales
• for use in human environments e.g. psychiatric hosapitals & correctional institutions
• Classroom Environments Scales (CES)
• 3 Dimensions: - Relationship, Personal Development and System Maintenance & System Change

Fraser (1985)

• Individualised Classroom Environment Questionnaire (ICEQ)

• My Class Inventory (MCI) --> Fraser, Anderson, Walberg (1982)

• College and University Classroom Environment Inventory (CUCEI)