Relationships among student, teacher and observer perceptions of science classrooms and student achievement

Abstract

This study was designed to examine relationships among observer, teacher and student perceptions of what was occurring in US ninth grade science classrooms to better understand the inter-relationships among the different perspectives. Classes were observed by trained observers, and teachers and students were asked to rate how often various activities occurred on a self-report questionnaire. The questionnaire items were factor analysed to determine the underlying factor structure. These measures were then used as independent variables to predict student achievement on a US science standards-based multiple choice test and a US standards-based hands-on laboratory skills test. The findings show that students and teachers view their classes differently although the factor structures had some similarity and that classroom observations conducted by trained observers are the best predictors of student achievement.