Student gender, school size and changing perceptions of science learning environments during the transition from primary to secondary school

Abstract

This study investigated students’ perceptions of the generalist learning environment of the primary school compared to their perceptions of the specialist science learning environment of secondary school. The role of student gender and change in school size as influencing factors on changes in students’ perceptions across primary to secondary transition were especially considered. The same students’ perceptions of the learning environment were collected in the final stages of primary school and again after their initial term in secondary school. Insights were gained into how students’ perceptions of learning environment changed during their first exposure to specialised science learning environments and teachers, and how these changes in perceptions during transition depended upon school size and student gender. Both school size and student gender were found to be influencing factors for changes in some learning environment dimension perceptions.