How
Classroom Environment Influences A Students Learning Experience
Introduction
Many studies have been done in order
to determine how the classroom environment can influence a students learning
experience. I will be discussing how a teachers positive attitude and the space
in a classroom can influence students learning experiences. Throughout my
research I was able to conduct an interview with an elementary school teacher
of a second grade classroom. The interview opened my eyes to a different way of
a positive classroom environment. The interview focused on how the teacher
expressed how her upbeat emotional state has actually increased her students
learning experience. I also was able to analyze a research paper called
“Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered Learning Environments” written by Dr. Zuhal
Cubukcu. The research paper focuses on classroom environment and
student-centered learning which is being implemented into schools all over the
world.
As my research continued I began to understand
that the classroom environment has a major impact on student learning
experience. A positive classroom environment is a prime element to providing students
with the best possible education and also allowing them to learn to the best of
their ability. Many educators are unaware of the impact the environment has on
their students. This leads me back to the main question, how does a classroom environment
influence a students learning experience? I am writing this paper to prove
there is more to teaching then going over the curriculum. In order to become a
better educator, you need to have an understanding of why and how the
environment of the classroom influences a students learning experience.
Literature Review
One article that I decided to focus
on for this particular study was “Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered
Learning Environments” written by Dr. Zuhal Cubukcu. This research paper
focused on student-centered learning and how it influenced students learning.
Zuhal firmly believes that “Learning is not only about knowledge making.
Children need to be active learners within the context of culture, community,
and past experiences”. This research shows that education is not what it was
years ago, and many theorists have shared their knowledge about child
development which is now being applied to the classroom. “Since both students
and teachers participate in learning process, teachers are perceived to be a
member of teaching environment and students to be the persons whose individual learning
needs should be addressed. Thus, teachers by using more recent teaching methods
involve students in learning process more actively. This improves and expands
teachers' roles, which in time contributes to team spirit and the culture of
working together”. (Cubukcu 50)
In order to be an effective teacher one must
understand how students learn. As a teacher it is important to understand how
students learn to the best of their ability and how the emotional and physical
set up of the classroom can influence their experience with learning. Student-centered
learning is a new way of setting up the classroom to ensure that each student
is excelling with their education. This provides a unique environment for the
students who are able to work with other students in their class. With
student-centered learning the students are able to learn from one another,
whether they are leading the group or getting extra assistance, each student is
expected to excel and help assist their classmates with each activity provided
by the teacher.
Dr. Zuhal’s research paper focuses on how specifically
placing the students into student-centered groups will increase their
education. The new way of educating is to allow students to applying their
knowledge to something in real life. Providing with students with different
activities will only increase their understanding of the topic. Zuahl’s research
paper talks about student-centered learning being able to occur at anytime
which is found to be a successful strategy in furthering a students education. “Student-centered
learning environments evolved as a result of changing beliefs and assumptions
related to the role of individual in learning. Student ownership for their
goals and activities is essential for a student-centered approach. Teachers,
while determining on educational models and approaches in their
teaching-learning process, should ensure that they allow students to learn on their
own”. (Cubukcu)
Student-centered learning is another way to set up
your classroom environment as an educator. This technique allows students to be
able to work together and learn from one another while encouraging students to
learn on their own. The lecturing of a teacher is not the only option to
teaching anymore and with student-centered learning students are able to take
what they have learned and apply it to activities that further their education.
As an educator it is important to establish what kind of classroom environment
you want to create. Allowing the students to become independent is a successful
classroom technique that allows students to create their own environment.
Methods
Throughout
my research I was able to conduct an interview with an elementary school teacher
in a second grade classroom. The interview took place in the teachers classroom
during the lunch break and took about 30 minutes. I chose to conduct an
interview because first I enjoy communicating with others and second I wanted
to get appropriate responses from someone who is already in the field and who
can relate to my research question because they are in the classroom on a daily
basis. It was a very relaxed interview and went very well. The teacher was
honest and open with me about her opinion which is more than I could have asked
for. The teacher and I sat in two separate chairs facing one another, I began
asking the questions and the teacher proceeded to answer them. I asked the
teacher to answer a few questions regarding her experience in the classroom as
well as what changes have been made to the reading program for her school. I
was interested to see how a teacher who has been with the school for four years
feels about the importance of classroom environment. I also was interested in
seeing how the teacher kept the classroom environment and if she felt there was
anything else she could do to improve her students education. The interview
opened my eyes to many things that never occurred to me before. Because I am
studying to be a teacher I went into this interview not only looking for
answered but also looking for advice, I am pleased to say that this interview
helped me with both.
Data and Analysis
The focus of the data is to provide
feedback on how the classroom environment can influence a students learning
experience. The two categories of analysis that this paper will focus on are
the space in the classroom and the teachers positive attitude. These two
categories will provide an answer as to whether the classroom environment has
an impact on student learning experience.
Teachers positive
attitude
The classroom is taught by a second
grade teacher who I will refer to as A. She has been with the school for four
years and has an outstanding amount of positivity that exhilarates the
classroom environment. Her cheerful personality carries on to her students
which leaves them eager to come to school every day. I was able to conduct an
interview with A and she was asked how she feels about a new program called
Project Read has influenced her classroom. Her response was, “I feel that it
has been very helpful. Since they have been here I have seen an increase in
many of the students grades. The program is focused on reading and allowing the
students to become comfortable with themselves as readers and writers. The
program also implements new ideas on how to arrange the classroom in order to
ensure all students are learning to the best of their ability”. A is very
confident in the program that has been implemented into her classroom.
I had the opportunity to observe A implementing the
program into her lessons and it is clear that her positive attitude towards not
only education but to this program is what makes it a success. The students can
sense that A is very upbeat about teaching and when they see her positivity it
feeds off of her to them. When A was asked about why she feels her classroom
has been so successful she responded with, “You need to have the right classroom
environment and it has to be happy and peaceful. The energy in the classroom is
a major part to learning. It’s not all about the writing on the walls”. This
statement reveals that A’s positive attitude towards being an educator is a
major factor in effecting a students learning experience.
The space in the
classroom
According
to Dr. Zuhal Cubukcu “Student-centered learning environments provide
interactive, complimentary activities that enable individuals to address their
unique learning interests and needs, examine content at multiple levels of
complexity”. This second grade classroom is very spacious, and the students
completed work is scattered around the walls. The teacher has her own desk and
the students sit in cooperative learning groups of three to four facing the
front of the classroom. The reason for the cooperative learning groups is so
that each student can learn from their peers, they can work and learn from one
another to complete activities that are assigned by the teacher. Cooperative
learning groups are used in every classroom to increase student learning. (See
image # 1)
In
the classroom there is a carpet in the back part of the classroom and on the
wall is a chalk board used as the word wall. The carpet area is used to make
the student physically comfortable. While the teacher uses the back of the
classroom for morning message and for writing time the students are able to
relax and feel confident. “With respect to psychological component, the
infrastructure has to provide students opportunities of establishing their own
knowledge, recalling and activating their prior knowledge and experience,
perceiving the natural context, using activities with their personal viewpoint
and value judgments”. (Cubukcu 54) The classroom environment that has been
established in this second grade classroom is peaceful and it gives the
students the confidence they need to be independent and learn from one another
and themselves. (See image 2, 3, & 4)
The
theory behind the set up of the carpet area is so that students feel at ease
while learning, therefore they be able to give their undivided attention to the
teacher. There is also a reading corner which consists of many books color
coded for the students to read pertaining to their specific reading level. The
reading corner is placed to the right of the teachers desk and next to the
writing corner. These two stations are strategically placed near by one another
so the students can reflect on what they are reading by writing about it. The
books are easily accessible for all of
the students which gives them independence when choosing what book to read. As
stated before the writing corner is near by the reading corner. The writing
corner is where the students can reflect on their reading or just be creative
and write down what they feel. Next to
the writing corner is the technology station where the students are able to use
laptops to work on practicing skills they are learning. “For effective use of
place in terms of the technology component, places should ease communication,
support learning visually, offer access to various information sources and be
acoustically convenient”. (Cubukcu 54) The technology corer is used for the
students to get used to using technology and for students to get extra practice
on the lesson for that week or day. The computers are placed in the corner of
the classroom and placed on desks. The students can access them during their
station time where they are in their cooperative learning groups. All of these
stations within the classroom are strategically placed in order to make the
students feel comfortable and also to increase student learning. The set up of
this classroom environment was purposely set up in order to positively
influence students learning. By having the stations close by one another it
allows the students to feel in control of their classroom and of their
education which makes for a peaceful learning environment. (See image 1 &
2)
Conclusion
After being able to analyze the
second grade classroom I came to the conclusion that there is more to teaching
then instruction based on curriculum. The classroom environment a teacher
establishes for her students has an immense impact on students learning
experiences. Factors that have an impact on the classroom environment such as
the space in the classroom and the teachers positive attitude should be taken
into consideration for all new and current teachers. Being able to influence a
students learning experience through the classroom environment is a key element
to being a successful educator.
Works Cited
Cubukcu, Zuhal.
"Teachers Evaluation of Student-Centered Learning Environments." .
N.p.. Web. 13 Dec 2013.
