Drawing out classroom social climate: The use of participant-produced drawings in research on psychosocial classroom learning environment in the context of school mathematics

Ana Kuzle,Dubravka Glasnović Gracin

doi:10.31129/lumat.9.1.1624

Abstract

Over the last twenty years, visual methods in childhood research have become more mainstream across social science research. Through this paradigm shift, children became active agents in the research process. Participant-produced drawings in particular allow a constructive process of thinking in action, rather than seeing drawings as simple representations of the participants’ worldviews. In this paper, we use participant-produced drawings as a window into students’ perceptions of the mathematics classroom learning milieu from a social perspective. The goals of this report are threefold: (1) to conceptualize the complex and multifaceted construct of classroom social climate from the standpoint of primary grade students by using a qualitative research approach (i.e., participant-produced drawings), (2) to evaluate the extent to which participant-produced drawings can be used when researching the construct of classroom social climate, and (3) to provide two analytical tools that can be used in qualitative inquiry on classroom social climate in different mathematics lessons. To conclude, versatile recommendations for theory and practice are discussed regarding the employed methodology (i.e., participant-produced drawings as a visual research method) as well as some possible future directions.

Highlights

The classroom is a significant social environment in the multifaceted development of children
The purpose of the study was – by using an explorative qualitative research design – to (1) develop analytical tools that can be used in a qualitative inquiry on classroom social climate when using participant-produced drawings in the context of school mathematics, (2) evaluate the extent to which the participant-produced drawings can be used when researching the complex and multifaceted construct of classroom social climate using participant-produced drawings from the standpoint of primary grade students (Grades 3-6), and (3) present a modification and further development of existing classroom climate models from the standpoint of primary grade students by using participant-produced drawings
Based on the qualitative analysis of participantproduced drawings, we proposed a possible further development of existing classroom climate models reported in the literature (e.g., Bülter & Meyer, 2015; Eder, 2002; Evans et al, 2009; Fraser, 2012; Fraser & Fisher, 1983; Trickett & Moos, 1973) to better understand structure, functions, and processes in a mathematics classroom

Summary

Introduction

The classroom is a significant social environment in the multifaceted development of children It shapes students’ essential perceptions, and it allows each child to acquire new concepts and procedures (Ahtee et al, 2016). During their time at elementary school, students spend an average of 20-30 hours a week in the classroom (OECD, 2019). In this time, the teacher has responsibility over the classroom activities, guides, and accompanies these as well as the related learning processes (Ahtee et al, 2016). New methodological approaches are emerging with respect to studying activities in mathematics teaching, evaluating teaching quality, teacher-child relationship quality, and school and administrative adjustment (Ahtee et al, 2016; Harrison et al, 2007; Kearney & Hyle, 2004; Lodge, 2007; Pehkonen et al, 2016)

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion