Chapter 5. Discussion and Conclusion
This study attempted to facilitate future research and relate issues involving the
science teaching and learning of classroom LE which teachers constructed and
students perceived by an alternative, transverse or macrocosmic standpoint. For this
purpose, a new instrument, the Earth Science Classroom Learning Environment
Instrument (ESCLEI) was developed. This instrument assessed two dimensions
included student-centred and teacher-centred orientation of science classroom LE
from the students’ viewpoints. Validation data provided here and elsewhere (Lee
and Chang, in press) have confirmed the reliability and validity of the ESCLEI for use
in Taiwan.
In this study, as the descriptive statistics shown in Table 6, it was found that
students preferred their classroom LE tended to both student-centred and
teacher-centred setting which occur between ‘Sometimes’ and ‘Often’ in both pre-
and post-test. However, before and after semester, they perceived (actual) more
teacher-centred setting classroom LE which occur between ‘Sometimes’ and
‘Often’ ,and less student-centred orientation which occurs between ‘Seldom’ and
‘Sometimes’. Correspondingly, as shown in Figure 3-a and 3-b, we can see the
classes’ favors and experiences, for the most part, located on ST-quadrant and
and 4-b. It indicated that Taiwan’s 10th grade students preferred both the
student-centred and teacher-centred setting LE, which seems to be a domestically
unique situation. And it also revealed that students perceived (actual) more
teacher-centred setting classroom LE, which reflected that classroom LE in Taiwan
are oriented chiefly toward teacher-center setting. The results are, to a certain
extent, in line with previous studies (Aldridge et al. 2000, Aldridge et al. 1999, Chang
2003, Lee and Chang in press), which revealed that teaching in Taiwan is often
teacher-center oriented setting.
It also found that students’ preferred and perceived (actual) classroom LEs are
much more teacher-centred oriented setting then toward the student-centred settings in
both pre- and post-test, in spite of the preferred classroom LEs revealed by students
responses on both subscales (i.e., teacher-center and student-center) are quite similar
to each other. No matter before or after semester, there is a noticeable gap between
students’ preferred and actual (perceived) classroom LEs on both subscales.
Especially in the student-centred settings, the gap between preferred and actual
(perceived) classroom LE in student-centred situation (i.e. PEFS) was much higher
then that in the teacher-centred settings (i.e. PEFT) in both pre- and post-test (as
shown in the seventh row in Table 7 and Table 8). Apparently, the classroom LEs in
Taiwan are oriented chiefly toward teacher-centred setting, although students also
preferred student-centred situation and it still had a certain extent gap between their
preferred and actual (perceived) classroom LEs. In other words, Taiwan’s teachers
may still had efforts on construct more student-centred oriented classroom LE to fit
what students preferred.
The results of present study also provide evidence of the variations in students’
preferences of and experiences of classroom LE when they were taught during a
semester. Campbell et al. (2001) stated that teaching strategies of teachers
influenced students’ perceptions. Tsai (2000, 1996) stated that students’
epistemological beliefs may come mainly form their formal schooling and were an
essential component in determining their learning perceptions and orientations.
However, students’ perceptions of classroom LE before a semester were influenced
by the instructions in earlier periods, and which of that after a semester were
influenced by present teachers’ teaching strategies.
In this study, the students’ perceptions in the classroom LEs include preferences
and experiences; we found that the students’ preferred and perceived (actual)
classroom LEs had a noticeable gap between pre- and post-test on both subscales (as
shown in Table 9). Students’ preferred classroom LEs on both subscales tend to
decrease when they were taught during a semester and their perceived (actual)
classroom LEs on teacher-centred orientation have similar situation (see Table 9). It
is worthy noted that students perceived (actual) much more student-centred oriented
classroom LE when they were taught during a semester (as shown in the fifth row in
Table 9).
Moreover, we can found that the gap between preferred and actual (perceived)
classroom LE on both subscales (i.e. PEFS and PEFT) tend to regression when they
were taught during a semester, especially in PEFS (p < 0.01, d = 1.25) (as shown in
the seventh and eighth row in Table 9). In ‘ideal’ classroom, there would be no
difference between the preferred and actual classroom climate which PEF scores
would be zero (Diamantes 2002). It may be inferred that teaching strategies in
Taiwan had some positive reflection in students’ perceptions.
Despite that a teacher-centred teaching strategies to education generally results
in higher academic achievement than a student-centred teaching strategies (Chall
2000 and Chang 2003). In this study, results form the simple correlation (r) revealed
that there were some positive relationship between CVS and the diversities of leaning
outcomes (i.e. attitude and achievement), and were no significant relationship
between CVT and the diversities of learning outcomes (as shown in Table 10).
It seem to indicate that the diversities of learning outcomes were tended to
increase which if teacher didn’t fitted for students’ perceptions on student-centred
orientations in light of current study. It may be because students felt not enough
direction given from teacher in student-centred oriented classroom LE while they had
adopted teacher-centred oriented and examination-driven classroom LE in past formal
schooling. Students in Taiwan are generally quiet and passive learners and not
inclined to enjoy self-learning very much (Chang 2003). Aldridge et al. (2000)
stated that diversions from teacher-centred methods can be viewed off-task by parents
and students in Taiwan. Besides, the conventional teaching method has prevailed in
the science classrooms for so long and students in Taiwan are used to listening to the
teachers (Chang and Mao 1999). And it may be because, as proposed by Novak
(1985), implies that the traditional way of testing or evaluation cannot effectively
differentiate the meaningfulness of students’ science learning.
That is, the result of the present study revealed that the fitness of students’
perceptions on student-centred oriented classroom LE were probably a component in
influencing their learning outcomes.
Research focusing on classroom LE as students’ viewpoints and specifically
dealing with student-centred and teacher-centred orientation at the secondary school
earth science classrooms is limited and sparse. This study has described the
development and validation of a questionnaire (ESCLEI) which consists of two
subscales (student-centred and teacher-centred LEs) with both preferred and actual (or
perceived) form pooled together. Overall, this study revealed the present structure of
classroom LE at the secondary school earth science classroom in Taiwan, and it also
revealed students’ perceptions and the fitness in classroom LE. Principals and
supervisors may use it to help teacher improve their classroom environments. It is
noted, however, that there were some relationships between classroom climate vector
and diversity of learning outcomes; it still needed some further investigations to
interpret the data given form present study which were currently conducting in fact.
The results of current study could shed lights on teaching and learning on earth
sciences and have a potential benefit for further studies. It is noted that the
instrument need to further simplify and modify in order to explore something
impacted on classroom LE (e.g., teaching method, teaching content and teaching
evaluation) which were currently conducting in fact.
