The Interplay between Biology Teachers Interpersonal Behavior and Students Perceptions of the Classroom Learning Environment


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Çakır M., Selen I.

The International Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Learning, cilt.21, sa.2, ss.1-9, 2015 (Scopus) identifier

Özet

The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between students’ perceptions of their biology classroom learning environment, teachers’ interpersonal behaviors, students’ academic achievement, and their attitudes towards biology. The Turkish versions of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI), the Technology-Rich Outcomes-Focused Learning Environment Inventory (TROFLEI), and the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) were administered to a total of 402 students from fifteen classrooms of four high schools located in Tekirdag/Turkey during the 2012–2013 academic year. Factor structures and internal consistency reliabilities of all instruments were found to be valid and reliable. The analyses revealed that the students had positive perceptions of their biology learning environments. Furthermore, their perceptions of the learning environment had a positive influence on their attitudes to and achievements in biology. Similarly, their attitudes to and achievement in biology were influenced by biology teachers’ interpersonal behaviors. Whereas the scales of the TOSRA positively correlated with three scales of the QTI, namely leadership, understanding, and helping, they negatively correlated with four scales of the QTI, namely uncertain, admonishing, dissatisfied, and strict. The students’ perceptions of their biology teachers’ interpersonal behaviors differed significantly depending on the type of school they were attending.