Predictive Relationship between Science Laboratory Learning Environment and Level of Students’ Satisfaction

Abstract

For effective teaching and learning, learning environment need to be adjusted in line with the learning outcomes and teaching strategies while at the same time fulfilling the teachers’ and students’ needs. Thus, it is argued that evaluation of learning environment is crucially important because by doing so will not merely providing information for measuring the learners’ performance, but also information on teachers’ competencies in planning positive learning outcomes. At the same time, students’ perception on the learning environment provides meaningful measures for improving the existing learning environment. This paper reports a survey which was conducted in order to determine students’ perception of science laboratory learning environment schools in the state of Selangor and its relationship with students’ satisfaction. Students’ perception on science laboratory learning environment was measured by using Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) and students’ learning satisfaction was measured using modified version of satisfaction in learning science domain of Test of Related Science Attitudes (TOSRA). Analysis of findings found that students demonstrate positive attitudes in all SLEI scales, with an exception in freedom in generating ideas. In terms of learning satisfaction, students as surveyed in this study have positive perception. Subsequent analysis also reveals that there exist significant predictive relationship between students’ perception of science laboratory learning environment and their learning satisfaction as measured in this study