Indian Classroom Learning Environments: Culture and.

This book reports on an in-depth study of teacher- student interactions and science classroom learning environments in Jammu, India. This is the first time that any learning environment research has been conducted and reported from this part of the world. The present study commenced with a more positivistic framework, with an aim of providing a large-scale quantitative overview. The Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI), the What is Happening in this Class? (WIHIC) and an Attitude Scale were used in this study. Students were interviewed to determine further the reliability of the questionnaires, in addition to providing information that might explain the QTI and WIHIC mean scale scores. As a result of critical reflection, the study moved towards a more interpretative framework, drawing on elements of the constructivist and critical theory paradigms. Multiple research methods were used to member check and deepen the researchers? understanding of the learning environments in Jammu. An educational critique was used to describe the social and cultural factors that could influence the prevailing learning environments .

Rekha B Koul is a Research Fellow at Science and Mathematics Education Centre, Curtin University of Technology. Her major interests include classroom and school learning environments, gender and cultural issues, and teacher professional development. She has published and presented nationally and internationally on these topics.