EDS5001: Themes in Education

Nicole Rapa
MTL First Year
0155301L

Theme 4:
On the basis of your school-based evidence and using the concepts you have
been introduced to, describe what the teacher/s has done to create a positive
learning environment. Are there any factors that may have inhibited this?

A positive learning environment is an environment which supports the needs of the

students. It is an environment where the students feel like their learning and making
progress. Although this positive environment should encapsulate the entire school, it has to
do specifically with the classroom. In fact, the positive learning environment has to do with
classroom climate which refers to ‘the mood or atmosphere created by a teacher in his or
her classroom, the way the teacher interacts with students and the way the physical
environment is set out’ (Vassallo p. 82). Therefore, this essay details how teachers can
create a positive learning environment and how this is done at my assigned school
(Immaculate Conception), as well as any factors that may inhibit this.

There have been a myriad of studies which show ‘a high correlation between
classroom climate and student progress’ (Vassallo p. 82). In fact, Hay McBer has identified
nine factors which influence success and motivation in students:

Clarity: Encapsulates the teachers’ ability to communicate clearly the objectives of

the lesson with the students to ensure effective learning. Therefore, planning is essential so
as the material is presented in small steps with opportunities for students to practise after
each step.

Environment: Refers to the physical place i.e., that the classroom is comfortable,
clean, and attractive and not bare and gloomy.

Fairness: Fairness is ‘the degree to which there is equality and absence of

favouritism’ (Vassallo, p. 83). This is an important element to effective learning because
fairness creates an atmosphere of trust which allows the students express themselves
freely.
 EDS5001: Themes in Education
Nicole Rapa
MTL First Year
0155301L

Interest: The teachers need to know what interests and motivates the students so
that the students stay engaged and focused during the lessons. Moreover, this allows the
teacher to make use of a variety of activities that reach out to all the students.

Order: Order or ‘social cohesion’ (Vassallo p. 83) is created by adopting a consistent

approach of maintaining discipline. Students should support each other’s learning and any
behaviour that hinders learning should be sanctioned.

Participation: School success depends on the cultural capital that the students may
or may not bring with them from childhood. It may also depend on the ‘ways in which they
can or cannot access and situate themselves within the school’s curriculum and pedagogy’
(Vassallo p. 83).

Safety: The ‘absence of threat and fear’ (Vassallo p.83) allows students to seek help
and perceive themselves as socially competent.

Standards: The teachers’ expectations have been show to have an effect on the
students’ achievement. Therefore, teachers need to combine having high expectations and
care for their students so that they influence the students’ ability or potential to succeed.
‘There is a sense of intellectual partnership between the teacher an students’ (Vassallo p.
84).

Support: The teacher needs to encourage and guide the students to try new things
and support them when they make mistakes. The teacher needs to support every student to
achieve their maximum growth.

The implementation of these dimensions ensures a healthy environment in which

students can thrive and be able to reach their highest potential. The ethos of the
Immaculate Conception school is ‘Learn to Love and Love to Learn’ which clearly shows that
one of the most important things is that students enjoy learning. During my observations, I
have noticed that some teachers put in extra effort to ensure their students are enjoying the
process of learning. For instance, a particular teacher I observe creates a positive learning
environment by making use of multisensory teaching and she also gives a lot of importance
to participation. She gives a lot of opportunities to students to participate through
 EDS5001: Themes in Education
Nicole Rapa
MTL First Year
0155301L

elicitation, group work, mini class discussions etc. She encourages her students to
participate even when they are not sure of the answer and guides them when they cannot
figure it out by themselves. These are all important so as effective learning takes place.
Contrarily, there are also teachers which at time may have created a negative learning
environment. For instance, one teacher during the first lesson started shouting with a
couple of students because they did not get their homework and she also threatened them
to give them a warning. This was quite uncomfortable and it created a taut atmosphere
which lasted throughout the whole lesson despite the teacher’s effort to carry on with the
lesson. Although class management is important, shouting at and threatening students is
not discipline. She also gives importance to grades and calls out students in class when they
do poorly in a test or in their homework. This makes students anxious and withdraw from
the lesson.

In conclusion, teachers should aim to create a positive learning environment for their
pupils in order to ensure effective learning takes place. Along with the aforementioned
factors, love and care are also important so that a sense of community is created and
students feel at welcomed and at home. Furthermore, effective teachers understand that
the way to create a positive learning environment is by providing all students ‘equitable
opportunities for learning’ (Vassallo p. 94).
 EDS5001: Themes in Education
Nicole Rapa
MTL First Year
0155301L

References:

Vassallo, B. (2008). Classroom climate as perceived by Maltese and non-Maltese pupils in

Malta. MALTA REVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, 6(1), 80-97
www.um.edu.mt/educ/about/publications