Chinese Journal of Science Education

Abstract

This paper reports part of a cross-national study of science classroom environments in Taiwan and Western Australia that focuses on the use and validation of English and Chinese versions of a questionnaire assessing student perceptions of Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Involvement, Investigation, Task Orientation, Cooperation and Equity. The questionnaire was administered to 1,081 students from 50 classes in Western Australia and 1,879 students from 50 classes in Taiwan. Data analysis supported each scale’s internal consistency, reliability, a priori factor structure, and ability to differentiate between classrooms, and revealed interesting differences between average scale scores between Taiwan and Western Australia. The questionnaire data were used to guide the collection of qualitative data (involving interviews with teachers and students and classroom observations) to provide further support for the validity of questionnaire and to explain patterns and differences in mean scale scores in Western Australia and Taiwan. Interviews provided precautionary information regarding students’ understanding of some questionnaire items and the use of a questionnaire developed in a Western contest to measure the classroom environment in an Eastern culture. Descriptive stories were used to enhance understanding of cultural influences that could affect researchers’ interpretations of their observations, revealing that researchers from different cultural backgrounds interpreted their observations according to factors which are socially and culturally bound.

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