Students’ perception of the psychosocial environment of chemistry classrooms in relation to attitudes and academic performance: a study of secondary schools in Keiyo Sub-County, Kenya

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.