Science Education International (Nov 2019)
The Role of Students' Motivation in the Relationship between Perceived Learning Environment and Achievement in Science: A Mediation Analysis
Abstract
Science Education International ¦ Volume 30 ¦ Issue 4 251 INTRODUCTION The classroom learning environment has been a research area for educational researchers for whom students’ classroom environment has been considered as a key place for determining students’ learning (Fraser, 1994, 1998). According to Wilson (1996), the classroom learning environment can be defined as a place where students and teachers communicate with each other, and many kinds of materials and knowledge are used for learning activities. Fisher et al. (1995) pointed out that a positive classroom learning environment was a vital factor in students’ academic performance and attitudes. Similarly, in several studies, students’ classroom learning environment perceptions were found to be one of the significant predictors for students’ academic achievement (e.g., Arisoy, 2007; Baek & Choi, 2002; Dorman, 2001; Margianti et al., 2002; Pamuk et al., 2017). Based on social cognitive theory, Bandura (1986) stated that learning refers to a multifaceted system that depends on the learner’s characteristics, behaviors, social environment, and reciprocal interaction of these variables. Therefore, it is vital to examine the psychosocial features of the learning environment and their relation to motivation toward learning and achievement. Findings of various studies have provided empirical evidence that students’ learning environment perceptions are related to various cognitive and affective learning outcomes (Fraser, 1998) such as students’ achievements, motivation, metacognition, self-regulation, and achievement goal orientation (Ames, 1992; Chionh & Fraser, 2009; Lau & Lee, 2008). For instance, when students perceive their classroom to be high in cooperation they progress academically, and their affective outcomes (e.g., self-esteem and supportive relationships) toward school become positive (Johnson et al., 1983). Partin and Haney (2012) found that students who perceive their classroom learning environment as positive, state a higher level of self-efficacy beliefs, and as such, their course performance improves. Moreover, Peters (2013) found that self-efficacy mediated the relationship between perceived learning environment and math achievement of college students. Sungur and Gungoren (2009) also revealed that in the domain of science, students’ self-efficacy beliefs, mastery and performance goals had a mediating role in the correlation between learning environment perceptions and achievement scores of students. There are studies in the science education field, which generally have shown the significant association between classroom environment, achievement, and students’ motivation (Aldridge & Fraser, 2000; den Brok et al., 2004; Telli et al., 2006; Wahyudi & Treagust, 2004; Yerdelen, 2013). Students’ Motivation to Learn Science Student motivation can be defined as exciting the students’ mind to grasp instruction (Crump, 1995). Viau (2015) also The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of 7th grade students’ motivation toward learning science in the relationship between their science learning environment perceptions and science achievement. The correlational research design was utilized in this study and data were collected from 922 7th grade students using self-report questionnaires and a multiple-choice science achievement test. While motivation to learn science was regarded as self-efficacy, task value, intrinsic goal orientation, and extrinsic goal orientation, students’ perceptions of the learning environment in science class were assessed by considering the components of constructivist learning environment such as teacher support, involvement, investigation, and equity. The results are discussed in relation to the features of classroom learning environment related to students’ performance in science class. According to the results obtained from latent variables path analyses, it seems important that classroom learning environments which were arranged by means of the perspective of the constructivist learning environment increase students’ science achievement directly and indirectly by increasing their motivation toward science.
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