A Phenomenological Study of Teacher Experiences with the Classroom Physical Environment's Influence on Teaching and Learning
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2023
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Abstract
Although the classroom environment is essential to teaching and learning, the classroom’s physical conditions are not a priority at every school. The problem is that school leaders and teachers seldom focus on the physical component’s influence on teaching and learning regarding the teacher’s self-efficacy to establish their classroom physical environment. This phenomenological study explored elementary, middle, and high school teachers’ experiences to understand their perceptions of the classroom physical environment’s influence on teaching and learning in Guam. While literature details the classroom environment’s effects on student learning and achievement, research seldom shares a teacher’s perspective of the classroom physical environment’s influence on the teacher’s practices and student learning. Spatiality theory and SCT guided the study to focus on the teachers’ perceptions and experiences. The study used purposeful sampling to select 18 Guam public elementary, middle, and high school teachers in all grade levels and content areas. Data collected from semi-structured interviews was analyzed through thematic analysis, which identified five themes related to the research questions: classroom preparation, physical environment, teacher efficacy, leadership support, and classroom culture. All participants shared similar beliefs about the classroom physical environment’s influence on teaching and learning; however, their experiences depended on the grade level they teach, the region in Guam they teach, and whether they shared their classroom space with others. The findings filled a gap in the literature and recommended further research to be conducted to explore school administrators’ perceptions.
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