In this article, I report a two-year study of working closely with science teachers and examining perceptions of Year 9 (12-13 year olds) students in 13 New Zealand secondary schools. The Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) was used. The questionnaire was administered to 327 students in the first year and 362 students in the second…

This study focused on K-12 students attending outreach activities (i.e. activities from STEM-based industry emphasizing applications of STEM content in the STEM field), with the main objective being to motivate students for a future career in STEM. Outreach activities can be regarded as environments that extend the regular in-class learning…

Australia's economic need for innovation has led to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education becoming an essential investment for the future. This study utilised a mixed-methods approach involving a pre-validated quantitative questionnaire together with qualitative semi-structured focus groups with students across four…

Semester schools provide high-school students with a relatively new type of learning environment that largely has not been empirically studied. This study used a retrospective survey (n = 797) to explore the learning outcomes that stem from semester schools and identify features within the educational environment that promote them. Participants…

?eachers' interpersonal behaviour is considered important for the quality of the student--teacher relationship. The present study examined teachers' and students' perceptions regarding teachers' interpersonal behaviour and the degree of their agreement at the class level. Moreover, this study investigated whether possible differences between them…

In this study of 431 Grade 9 and 10 students, we investigated gender and frequency of practical work as determinants of science students' perceptions of their learning environment and attitudes. We assessed classroom environment with the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) and attitudes with the Students' Adaptive Learning Engagement…

Control-value theory suggests that students' control and value appraisals mediate the relation between contextual supports and student emotions in formal learning settings; however, this theory has not been tested in informal learning contexts. Understanding mechanisms for instructional support in informal learning contexts can inform the design…

This qualitative study explored Hong Kong students' views and reactive emotions towards interpersonal teacher behaviour in their classrooms. Fifteen focus-group interviews were conducted with 69 secondary-school students. Content analysis was performed to identify main themes. Cultural similarities and differences were identified in students'…

We investigated the impact of RULER--an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning--on school climate. Students and teachers from 37 Mexican high schools completed measures of school climate and school satisfaction before, one year into, and two years into RULER implementation. There were significant improvements in multiple…

The New What Is Happening In this Class questionnaire (NWIHIC) was constructed based on Moos's scheme for human environments. The sample consisted of 2280 students from elementary and secondary schools (grades 5-9). The data were analyzed using SPSS26 and AMOS software version 25. Principal components factor analysis with oblique rotation, as well…

Teachers' self-perceptions and their students' perceptions of the three basic dimensions of instructional quality were compared based on a sample of 171 classes and their teachers in German secondary education. Low to moderate correlations (r = 0.35 to 0.50) were found between the two perspectives. Differences in perceptions vary across teachers…

In response to the leaky STEM pipeline, particularly for girls, many schools have introduced integrated STEM (iSTEM) programs to enable students to solve problems using skills from each STEM area and hopefully enhance their interest in continuing with STEM subjects in senior-high school and university. We investigated whether gender differences in…

In this research, we developed and validate an instrument for assessing high-school students' perceptions of socio-scientific issues (SSI)-based learning in biology. The development of the instrument was carried out using the following four steps: item formulation, content validation, construct validation and reliability calculation. According to…

Students' perceptions of the learning environment play an important role in their academic achievement and social lives. While most measures of school environment have been developed for middle- and high-school students, they also have been used for younger students, such as 4th and 5th graders. What is unclear is whether these measures are…

Teacher behaviour has significant impact on student learning and outcomes and determines the teaching quality in learning environments. The My Teacher Questionnaire (MTQ) has been used to assess students' perceptions of teaching behaviour in national and international studies with well-cited outcomes. In this cross-sectional survey study, we…