A Study of the Effects of an Improved Classroom Environment on Secondary Students\u27 Attitudes and academic Performance

An attempt will be made in this study to determine if a decorated, well-maintained biology classroom has any influence on the attitudes of students toward their classroom, school, subject and teacher. A twenty-item survey containing items which will measure each of the previously mentioned attitudes will be administered to a biology class which uses a decorated, well-maintained classroom. Another biology class taught by the same teacher will also be administered the same survey. However, this class is taught in a poorly-maintained, undecorated classroom. Both classes consist of students who were assigned to them in no particular fashion. An analysis will be made of the survey results to determine if there are any differences in the attitudes between the students in the decorated classroom and the undecorated classroom. The eighth, ninth and tenth grade first semester science grades of all of the students using these classrooms will also be compared to determine if their classroom environment has had any possible effect on their achievement in this subject. The problems being investigated can be stated as two questions: Can decorated, well-maintained classrooms in secondary schools produce a difference in student attitudes toward their classrooms, schools, subjects and teachers? Can they also produce a difference in academic achievement from these students