Abstract:
Science educators have for long been concerned on how to improve students learning
outcomes in science. Among the sciences, chemistry has been identified as an
important school subject touted as a vehicle to spur scientific and technological
development. The achievement in chemistry in Kenya however remains low. A
continuous review of factors that influence the learning outcomes in chemistry is
therefore necessary. Various research studies have shown that the perception of
classroom psychosocial environment is an important determinant of student learning.
This study therefore examined students’ perception of the classroom psychosocial
environment in relation to their attitudes and academic performance in chemistry.
The study further investigated the students’ perceptions of the classroom psychosocial
environment by gender, class level and school type. Participants included 366
students in Form 2 and Form 4 from 10 secondary schools of different types in Keiyo
sub-county. This study was guided by Lewin’s Field Theory which recognizes that the
environment and its interaction with an individual’s characteristics are potent
determinants of human behaviour. Students’ perceptions of the classroom
psychosocial environment were assessed using the What Is Happening In this Class?
(WIHIC) questionnaire. Students’ attitudes towards chemistry were collected using
the Attitudes Towards Chemistry Lessons Scale (ATCLS). Academic performance in
chemistry was determined by analyzing the students’ scores in chemistry in their
respective school. This study employed the correlational and the causal comparative
research designs. A quantitative method was used. The results obtained showed that
students had fairly positive attitudes towards chemistry. They also perceived their
chemistry classroom psychosocial environment positively. Pearson product moment
correlation revealed that the students’ perception of the classroom psychosocial
environment was significantly and positively associated with their attitudes and
academic performance in chemistry. A t-test for independent samples showed that
male and female students did not significantly differ in their perception of the
classroom psychosocial environment. Similarly, Form 2 and Form 4 students did not
significantly differ on all aspects of the classroom environment measured by the
WIHIC. Further, one way ANOVA did not establish a statistically significant
difference among boys’ only, girls’ only and coeducational schools in the perception
of the psychosocial environment of the chemistry classroom. The findings from this
study offer a diagnosis for teachers and school administrators about the various
psychosocial variables in the chemistry classroom that affect learning. Effective
planning and intervention measures of educational processes can therefore be initiated
to optimise learning. Based on these results, it is recommended that educators seeking
to improve students’ attitudes and academic performance in chemistry should
endevour to improve the classroom environment factors assessed by the WIHIC.