Science students’ perceptions of the learning environment in Science degree programs

Sarfraz Aslam; Atif Saleem; Ali Usman Hali; Huma Akram

doi:10.17485/IJST/v13i38.1294

Article

Science students’ perceptions of the learning environment in Science degree programs

VIEWS 23270
PDF 762

Indian Journal of Science and Technology

DOI: 10.17485/IJST/v13i38.1294

Year: 2020, Volume: 13, Issue: 38, Pages: 4003-4012

Original Article

Science students’ perceptions of the learning environment in Science degree programs

Sarfraz Aslam¹,², Atif Saleem³,², Ali Usman Hali^1*, Huma Akram⁴

¹School of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710062, China. Tel.: +86-155-0293-7367|
²Equal Authorship
³College of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, China
⁴School of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China

*Corresponding Author
Tel: +86-155-0293-7367
Email: [email protected]

Received Date:04 August 2020, Accepted Date:09 October 2020, Published Date:27 October 2020

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Learning environment plays a crucial role in students’ academic achievements. To understand this relationship, the study explores the perceptions of international science students in degree programs. Methods/Statistical analysis: This study used a mixed-method research design. Five interviews were conducted to explore and confirm the quantitative findings. Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from a sample size of 71 participants in three faculties, including life sciences, chemistry, and physics. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Cronbach’s alpha, Mean, standard deviation, ANOVA, and thematic analysis were conducted to analyze the data. Findings: The overall mean score of the DREEM was 142.49/200, indicating that international science students held positive perceptions of their learning environment. However, interviews explored the problematic areas, such as lack of a support system for students who got stressed, orientations about degree programs do not provide information for the next steps during the programs. Labs are well-equipped; however, all labels and instructions inside labs are in the Chinese language. Conclusion: There is a need for a student support system to enhance the learning environment. Well-planned orientation should be conducted at the start and mid of the programs to facilitate students’ learning environment.

Keywords: Science; perceptions; learning environment; student support system; international students

References

Audin K, Davy J, Barkham M. University quality of life and learning (UNIQoLL): An approach to student well-being, satisfaction and institutional change. Journal of Further and Higher Education. 2003;27(4):365–382. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0309877032000128073
Genn JM. AMEE Medical Education Guide No. 23 (Part 1): Curriculum, environment, climate, quality and change in medical education–a unifying perspective. Medical Teacher. 2001;23:337–344. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590120063330
Pimparyon P, SR, Caleer SM, Pemba S. Pemba Educational environment, student approaches to learning and academic achievement in a Thai nursing school. Medical Teacher. 2000;22:359–364. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/014215900409456
Dunne F, McAleer S, Roff S. Assessment of the undergraduate medical education environment in a large UK medical school. Health Education Journal. 2016. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/001789690606500205
Schönrock-Adema J, Bouwkamp-Timmer T, Hell EAv, Cohen-Schotanus J. Key elements in assessing the educational environment: where is the theory? Advances in Health Sciences Education. 2012;17(5):727–742. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10459-011-9346-8
Seabrook MA. Clinical students' initial reports of the educational climate in a single medical school. Medical Education. 2004;38:659–669. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2004.01823.x
Genn JM. AMEE Medical Education Guide No. 23 (Part 2): Curriculum, environment, climate, quality and change in medical education – a unifying perspective. Medical Teacher. 2001;23(23):445–454. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590120075661
Genn JM. AMEE Medical Education Guide No. 23 (Part 1): Curriculum, environment, climate, quality and change in medical education-a unifying perspective. Med Teach. 2001;23(23):337–344. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590120063330
Lizzio A, Wilson K, Simons R. University students' perceptions of the learning environment and academic outcomes: Implications for theory and practice. Studies in Higher Education. 2002;27:27–52. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03075070120099359
Vaughan B, Carter A, Macfarlane C, Morrison T. The DREEM, part 1: Measurement of the educational environment in an osteopathy teaching program. BMC Medical Education. 2014;14(1):99. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-14-99
Carmody DF, Jacques A, Denz-Penhey H, Puddey I, Newnham JP. Perceptions by medical students of their educational environment for obstetrics and gynaecology in metropolitan and rural teaching sites. Medical Teacher. 2009;31(12):e596–e602. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.3109/01421590903193596
Bakhshialiabad H, Bakhshi M, Hassanshahi G. Students’ perceptions of the academic learning environment in seven medical sciences courses based on DREEM. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2015;6:195–203. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S60570
Bakhshialiabad H, Bakhshi G, Hashemi Z, Bakhshi A, Abazari F. Improving students’ learning environment by DREEM: an educational experiment in an Iranian medical sciences university (2011–2016) BMC Medical Education. 2019;19(1):397. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1839-9
Chan CYW, Sum MY, Tan GMY, Tor PC, Sim K. Adoption and correlates of the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) in the evaluation of undergraduate learning environments - a systematic review. Medical Teacher. 2018;40:1240–1247. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2018.1426842
Roff S, McAleer S, Harden RM, Al-Qahtani M, Ahmed AU, Deza H, et al. Development and validation of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) Medical Teacher. 1997;19(4):295–299. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.3109/01421599709034208
Sobral DT. Medical students' self-appraisal of first-year learning outcomes: use of the course valuing inventory. Medical Teacher. 2004;26(3):234–238. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0142159042000192028
Land S, Jonassen D. Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments. Routledge. 2012.
Freiberg HJ. Measuring School Climate: Let Me Count the Ways. Educational Leadership. 1998;56:22–26.
Brown T, Williams B, Lynch M. The Australian DREEM: Evaluating student perceptions of academic learning environments within eight health science courses. International Journal of Medical Education. 2011;2:94–101. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4e66.1b37
Entwistle N. Approaches to studying and course perceptions: The case of the disappearing relationship. Studies in Higher Education. 1989;14:155–156. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03075078912331377466
Daguay-James H, Bulusan F. Metacognitive Strategies on Reading English Texts of ESL Freshmen: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed Design. TESOL International Journal. 2020;15:20–30.
Ivankova NV, Creswell JW, Stick SL. Using Mixed-Methods Sequential Explanatory Design: From Theory to Practice. Field Methods. 2016. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05282260
Wipulanusat W, Panuwatwanich K, Stewart RA, Sunkpho J. Applying Mixed Methods Sequential Explanatory Design to Innovation Management. In: KP, CHK., eds. Proceedings of the The 10th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management. (pp. 485-495) Springer. 2020.
Ahn YJ, Hu W. Evaluation of the Educational Environment at a Graduate Medical School in South Korea using the DREEM Questionnaire. MedEdPublish. 2019;8. Available from: https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2019.000101.1
Fernandes DAdS, Taquette SR, Rodrigues NCP. The educational environment of a traditional public school of medicine in Brazil with the DREEM questionnaire. MedEdPublish. 2019;8. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.15694/mep.2019.000101.1
Kossioni AE, Varela R, Ekonomu I, Lyrakos G. Dimoliatis, I.D.K. Students’ perceptions of the educational environment in a Greek Dental School, as measured by DREEM. European Journal of Dental Education. 2012;16:73–78. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0579.2011.00678.x
Lwin T, Aslam S, Mukhale PN. International Students’ Perceptions of Their Learning Environment in Graduate Programs at One Normal University in China. Journal of Education and Practice. 2017;8:229–233.
Riga V, Kossioni A, Lyrakos G. Can DREEM Instrument (Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure) measure the learning environment in a School of Education? Educational Journal of the University of Patras UNESCO Chair. 2015. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26220/une.2238
Roff S. The Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM)—a generic instrument for measuring students’ perceptions of undergraduate health professions curricula. Medical Teacher. 2005;27(4):322–325. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01421590500151054
Green SB, Salkind NJ. Using SPSS for Windows and Macintosh, Books a la Carte (8). Pearson. 2016.
Lowe A, Norris AC, Farris AJ, Babbage DR. Quantifying Thematic Saturation in Qualitative Data Analysis. Field Methods. 2018;30(3):191–207. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1525822x17749386
Linneberg MS, Korsgaard S. Coding qualitative data: a synthesis guiding the novice. Qualitative Research Journal. 2019;19(3):259–270. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/qrj-12-2018-0012
Miles S, Swift L, Leinster SJ. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM): A review of its adoption and use. Medical Teacher. 2012;34(9):e620–e634. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.3109/0142159x.2012.668625

Copyright

© 2020 Aslam et al.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Published By Indian Society for Education and Environment (iSee).