Examination of classroom learning environment

Abstract

Based on the analysis of the complex learning environment of the research as a whole, our study focuses on teachers’ learning support activities, the classroom learning environment they create. This is because research confirms that a significant proportion of students at risk of dropping out come close to dropping out due to teacher-related factors, eg. their relationships with students, the expectations they convey, the support of learning process and their attitudes toward it. In our analysis we examine 1) how teachers and students perceive the peculiarities of their learning environment, 2) which combination of factors they think the supportive classroom learning environment can be described as, and 3) what differences can be seen between teachers’ and students’ perceptions in this regard. Our research results confirm that teachers and students see the specifics of the learning environment differently. Teachers give an optimistic picture of the learning environment when judging their own activities, emphasizing how purposeful they are in their own instructional role. However, the focus of students' opinion is on the personal aspects of learning, thus teachers' learning management activities are also assessed through this personal focus. In addition to the characterization of the learning environment, our goal was also to present a theoretical framework and tool that allow getting to know and analyzing the optimal learning environment, and formulating development proposals based on all this.