Chinese Journal of Science Education

Abstract

Investigating school environments helps the understanding of teacher and student performance at schools. Researchers have documented that school environments are correlated to teachers’ performance, morale, and professional development, and students’ academic motivation, inpirations [sic], and achievement. Although researchers have started to examine the school environments from the teacher perceptions, few have focused specifically on the perceptions of science and mathematics teachers. Using a sample population of 457 science teachers and 355 mathematics teachers from secondary schools in Taiwan, this study investigated the variation in school environments between the two teacher groups and related factors. The results revealed that science teachers had greater work pressure and less favorable collegiality, but perceived more equally to the importance of their course subjects for male and female students than mathematics teachers did. Regression showed that school location and school level (middle and high schools) were associated with mathematics teachers’ perceptions of their school environments, whereas science teacher perceptions are determined by gender, school level, and teacher intention to stay in teaching. Findings of this study attest the diverse nature of school environments and heterogeneity among teacher subgroups by subjects. Different perspectives may be considered in designing strategies for the enhancement of school environments.

_{[Chinese Version | Index | Chinese Journal of Science Education | Other Journals | Subscription form | Enquiry ]}

Mail any comments and suggestions to hkier-journal@cuhk.edu.hk .