Chinese Journal of Science Education

Abstract

The ESCLEI (Earth Science Classroom Learning Environment Instrument) was developed and pilot tested with tenth-grade students in earth science classes to explore related issues in earth science teaching and learning. The instrument consists of two subscales (student-centered and teacher-centered learning environments) with both preferred and actual (or perceived) forms pooled together. Participants were 167 10th grade students enrolled in four earth science classes taught by four different teachers at two senior high schools in the Taipei and Taichung City. The instrument was found to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing earth science classroom learning environment. Students preferred both the student-centered and teacher-centered learning environments, which seem to be a domestically unique situation. There is a noticeable gap between pupils’ preferred and actual (perceived) classroom learning environments in both subscales. The preferred classroom learning environments revealed by students’ responses on both scales are quite similar to each other. However, students’ perceived (actual) learning environment is much more oriented toward teacher-centered settings than toward the student-centered situation. The instrument was also found to be a sensitive measure in distinguishing between different earth science learning environments intended and designed by different teachers. The results of the current study could shed light on teaching and learning of earth sciences and have a potential benefit for future studies. Furthermore the results of this pilot survey study could be used for the modification and specific adaptation of the instrument and for conducting large sample field studies in the future.

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