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This article was downloaded by: [UQ Library]On: 18 November 2014, At: 09:04Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
The Journal of Social PsychologyPublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vsoc20
Preferred and Actual LearningEnvironments and the Approach toLearning of Nigerian StudentsDavid Watkins a & Adebowale Akande ba Department of Education , University of Hong Kongb Psychology Department , Obafemi Awolowo UniversityPublished online: 01 Jul 2010.
To cite this article: David Watkins & Adebowale Akande (1993) Preferred and Actual LearningEnvironments and the Approach to Learning of Nigerian Students, The Journal of SocialPsychology, 133:1, 105-107, DOI: 10.1080/00224545.1993.9712123
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1993.9712123
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The Journal ofSocial Psychology, 133(1), 105-107
Preferred and Actual LearningEnvironments and the Approach to
Learning of Nigerian Students
DAVID WATKINSDepartment ofEducationUniversity ofHong Kong
ADEBOWALE AKANDEPsychology Department
Obafemi Awolowo University
RESEARCHERS HAVE DISCOVERED that, to understand how studentslearn, they must see both the learning task and the learning environment fromthestudent's point of view. Ramsden, Martin, and Bowden (1989) showedthat Australian schools that were seen as offering supportive teaching, coherent structure, emphasis on autonomy, and moderate stress on achievementwere more likely to encourage their students to adopt a deep approach tolearning, with an emphasis on understanding, rather than a surface approachin which the focus is on rote learning. Hattie and Watkins (1988) showed thatAustralian students who use deep approaches to learning, necessary for highlevel learning outcomes, tend to prefer classroom environments that are enjoyable and oriented to independent study and competition.
Address correspondence to David Watkins, Department of Education, University ofHong Kong, Pokfulam Road, HongKong.
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106 The Journal ofSocial Psychology
In this study, we sought answers to the following questions concerningthe science classes of 323 Nigerian Form I public secondary school students:(a) What are their preferred and actual learning environments, and what arethe discrepancies between them? (b) What relationship exists between preferred and actual environments and their approaches to learning science? Isthis similar to the findings for Australian classrooms?
Approaches to learning science were assessed by using the 36-itemLearning Process Questionnaire (LPQ; Biggs, 1987). Each item was answered on a 5-point scale ranging from never true (1) to always true (5). Thestudents' perceptions of their classroom environment were assessed by usingthe short 36-item version of the Classroom Environment Scale (CES; Moos& Trickett, 1974), on which "yes" answers were scored as 1 and "no" answers, as 2. The students responded to the CES in both "actual" (what theirscience classroom was really like) and "preferred" (how they would prefer it)forms. The CES has nine subscales divided along three dimensions: Relationship (Involvement, Affiliation, and Teacher Support subscales); PersonalGrowth or Goal Orientation (Task Orientation and Competition subscales);and System Maintenance and Change (Order and Organization, Rule Clarity,Teacher Control, and Innovation subscales).
On the actual CES form, the lowest means were found for the Rule Clarity (4.79), Affiliation (4.84), Competition (4.92), and Teacher Control (4.99)subscales. However, the students' preferred scores were significantly differentfrom their actual scores on the following subscales, p < .01: Affiliation,t(321) = 3.67; Competition, t(321) = 5.76; Order and Organization, t(321)= 3.59; and Innovation, t(321) = - 3.36. Significant tdf = 321, P < .01)correlations were found between the following approaches to learning andCES subscales: deep approach and actual Rule Clarity ( - .28) and Task Orientation (- .26) subscales and preferred Teacher Support (- .23), Task Orientation (- .19), and Rule Clarity (- .18) subscales; surface approach andactual Innovation (.22) and Rule Clarity (- .17) and preferred Teacher Support ( - .16) subscales.
It appears that these Nigerian secondary school students perceived theirscience classroom environments to be controlled by the teacher who enforcedrules through punishment and who encouraged competition between the students but not at the expense of their friendships. The students preferred a lesscompetitive classroom environment, less emphasis on student friendships,and less concern with students behaving in an orderly manner (but allowingstudents to contribute to the planning of class activities, which would involvea greater variety of learning activities). The results suggest that deep-levelprocessing in Nigeria is encouraged in a classroom environment in which theteacher enforces strict behavior standards that force the students to focus ontheir learning tasks but also in which the teacher is interested in the studentsand uses a stimulating variety of instructional methods to arouse their curi-
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osity. Thus, in Nigeria and Australia, deep-level processing is likely to beenhanced by an enjoyable learning environment, but in Nigeria, a moreteacher-controlled classroom may be more effective.
REFERENCES
Bigga. J, B. (1987). Student approaches to learning and studying. Hawthorn: Australian Council for Educational Research.
Hattie, 1., & Watkins, D. (1988). Preferred classroom environment and approach tolearning. British Journal ofEducational Psychology, 58, 345-349.
Moos, R. H., & Trickett, E. 1. (1974). Classroom Environment Scale manual. PaloAlto, CA: Consulting Psychologist Press.
Ramsden, P., Martin, E., & Bowden, 1. (1989). School environment and sixth formpupils' approaches to learning. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 59,129-142.
Received May 8,1992
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