724 The Study of Classroom Physical Appearance Effects on Khon Kaen University English Students Learning Outcome Wongvanakit Pat, Khon Kaen University, Thailand Abstract: Many classroom environments on learning studies indicated that facilities for teachers and students were perceived as significant factors that a classroom must contain. Khon Kaen University Language Institute (KKULI) is still operating using only one classroom design; therefore, this study will focus on the relationship between learning performance of KKU students taking a foundation English course of KKULI and the physical appearance of the classroom in order to improve classroom physical appearance for acquisition of language. This study will compare English learning performances between participants using a modified classroom with writable walls, laminated flooring, sharing tables, a modified teacher station and a non-modified regular class. This research examined the significance of the relationship between attitudes towards the classroom s physical appearance and aimed to provide academic institutes for improvement in terms of classroom design by using data from 228 first year students studying foundation English courses managed by KKULI in 2012. A self-administered questionnaire was applied as the instrument for data collection. Also, participants English learning performances from 7 English classes were analyzed by Paired-Sample T-Test to compare between performances of learners using the modified classroom and non-modified. The study showed that designing of the classroom significantly affected participants preference to the course and attitude on learning performance. Almost all participants did not like the individual fold-out desk. Instead, they preferred sharing tables, having eye contacts with teachers, and technology in class. Classroom physical appearance did not have a significant relationship to participants actual English learning performance. Keywords: Classroom physical appearance, classroom design, Classroom behavior Introduction In a learning environment, activities and materials used are considered as significant factors to one class. In the past, Thai people conducted their learning activities in temples, and learners mostly had to go to temples for their education as temples were perceived as the most appropriate source of knowledge. Humans depend on the environment to live their lives. Since humans are diurnal, academic institutions and learners have sought to have learning activities at the most comfortable locations that they could manage during the daytime. When considering learning behavior, the learning
725 environment itself is one of the most important factors; for example, many libraries observe no talking rule to decrease noises and provide as many facilities as possible for library users. Facilities and materials for teachers and students therefore can be perceived as significant factors for a classroom. Students seem to learn the most when they feel the environment is conducive and supportive. A well-organized classroom leads to more positive interactions between students and teachers, and it reduces disruptive behaviors. (Martella, Nelson, & Marchand Martella, 2003.) These can imply that humans actually pay attention in a learning atmosphere. Modification to the classroom environment is a feasible, minimally intrusive intervention resulting in increased academic engagement and decreased disruptive behavior. It is also mentioned by Caroline A. in her study of Changing Behavior by Changing Classroom Environment that when teachers have the freedom to design their classrooms, the end result is a more positive classroom environment. Teachers are stressed by students who are neither motivated nor prepared. Teachers experience stress by unpredicted classroom environment. (Gates, 2000) Also, classroom management is a concern of parents and teachers across the nation (Rose & Gallup, 2002). It is believed that classroom atmosphere affects learning efficiency (Suntree, 2003), and also promotes sense of belonging. An environment that is compatible with students social identity is essential. (Cheryan et al., 2009; Murphy et al., 2007; Purdie-Vaughns et al., 2008) A number of studies have been done on classroom environment to learning; the quality of classroom environment in schools is a significant determinant of student learning (Fraser 1998) and students learn better when they perceive classroom environment more positively (Jeffrey P. Dorman 2008) Cooperative learning in schools can be seen when peer relationship among students is in good condition. (Wentzel, 1991) Working in group sometimes is helpful, especially for weaker students. (Gates, 2000.) Studies of classroom environments have been implemented in a number of locations: China, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, Turkey, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, The United States, and England. The participants of this study are Khon Kaen University students who studied foundation English courses managed by Khon Kaen Univesity Language Institute, the study focused on their learning outcome indicated as the effectiveness of classroom appearance. This study focused on the relationship between learning performance of KKU students taking foundation English courses of KKULI and the physical appearance of the classroom in order to improve classroom physical appearance for acquisition of language. Also the study investigated students attitudes towards classroom physical appearance. The results could be further used for investigations on learning, teaching and other behaviors in classrooms. In addition, the study could be applied tool to explore the relation among many factors such as colors, classroom size, lighting, and decorating.
726 Objective This study aimed at investigating whether or not a classroom physical appearance plays a significant role to participants learning attitude and classroom physical appearance affects participants learning performance. Additionally, this research was conducted to study effect of technology on participants attitudes toward the particular course. Methodology In a previous research, participants consisting of 112 KKU students, who studied 000101 English for Communication managed by KKULI. They took first half of the course in a regular (nonmodified) classroom furnished with individual fold-out desks, a white board behind a projector screen, and teacher s station in front of the board (see figures 1 and 2). Then, they took the other half of the course in a classroom in the main library with shared tables and chairs with cushions furnished with a teacher s station next to the projector screen. The initial research aimed at acquiring data regarding students attitudes toward classroom physical appearance, and a questionnaire was used to collect data. The results indicated that participants of the initial research had positive attitudes to the classroom with shared tables and chairs with cushions furnished with a teacher s station next to the projector screen. Due to positive results of the initial research on attitudes of participants, this research was conducted by re-designing a regular classroom into a modified classroom having the following design features: 1) writable walls, 2) laminated flooring, 3) shared tables, and 4) a modified teacher station. 116 participants studied in the re-designed classroom furnished by individual fold-out desks for half of their course and by shared tables for the other half of the course. The re-designed classroom was an equipment for this research, and a set of questions was used to gather attitude towards the new design. English learning performances of 116 participants who took their course in the re-designed classroom had been compared to English learning performances of a second group of 131 students who took the same course in non-modified classrooms. 247 students participated in this study in total. Learning Performance Comparison Scores from another 88 participants from 7 English classes were compared with 116 students scores by Paired-Sample T-Test. The analysis was to indicate whether the modification or the appearance of the classroom significantly affects to learners English learning performance. Questionnaire Questionnaires were designed to acquire demographic information of participants, and they contained 4 open-ended questions included space for suggestions. Linkert s scale was used in order to acquire their attitudes to statements about relationship between classroom environment and their learning performance. The Regular Classroom In regular classrooms, the teacher station was placed in front of the class under the projector screen, and it was equipped with a computer set, a visualizer, and a microphone. Each student used an individual fold-out desk as shown in figures 1and 2.
727 Figure 1 Figure 2 The Modified Classroom Due to the modifications to the facilities, the appearance of the modified class was different, and almost all of furnishings had been changed. A number of electronic modifications were made to the class including the following wireless systems: wireless microphones, a clip microphone, a wireless computer keyboard, and a wireless computer mouse. The modified class was built with a shelf along one side of the room to be used as a storage area for classroom activity materials as shown in Figure 4. The other side of the class was constructed as a wall with a writable surface of clear glass. The white board was replaced by glass along the front side of the class for better usage and maintenance as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 3. The individual fold-out desks which were used in regular classes were replaced by 10 tables and 40 chairs. On each table there were a set of stationery items including colored markers for writing on the wall. A bookcase stocked with dictionaries was placed in the modified classroom, and step ladders were provided to assist students in writing on the wall. Figure 2 illustrates the Teacher s station which was next to the projector screen and was located on the side to the classroom. An adjustable chair was installed that allows teachers to raise and lower the seat according to their own preferences. Lighting and air conditioning systems were the same as in regular classes. The walls in this classroom was green to evoke relaxation, refreshment and comfort feelings (Kaya and Epps, 2004) Figure 3 Figure 4
728 Figure 5 Figure 6 Controlled Factors Both non-modified (regular) and modified (re-designed) classroom shared the same air conditioning system, lighting system, audio system, length of class time, course details, and teachers. Results and Discussion The questionnaire was designed for participants to rate their levels of attitude according to Linkert s scale indicating from Totally agree, Agree, Disagree, and Totally disagree. Table 1 shows attitude of participates to classroom physical appearance and classroom environment. Numbers Statements 1. Classroom atmosphere does not affect desire of study. 2. Classroom physical appearance affects course preference. 3. Classroom physical appearance affects learning performance. Totally agree Levels of attitude Agree Disagree Totally disagree 6.6 12.3 52.6 28.1 30.8 57.7 11 0.4 22.4 66.2 10.5 0.9 4. Classroom physical appearance affects state of mind. 36 57.9 5.7 0.4 5. Size of tables and chairs used in learning are important in classrooms. 6. State of mind affects learning performance. 45.2 44.3 10.5-63.6 34.2 1.8 0.4
729 7. In classrooms, technology is more important than design. 13.2 44.3 38.6 3.5 8. Beauty of classrooms does not affect learning performance or learning attitude. 3.5 19.7 62.7 14.0 9. The number of classmates affects learning performance. 10. Classroom physical appearance does not affect emotions. 11. Brightness of lighting affects learning performance. 12. Location of classrooms affects learning performance. 13. Classroom designing is important for studying in classrooms. 14. Length of learning time affects learning performance in classrooms. 15. Technology leads to forming attitude to the course. 16. Seat placement in classrooms affects learning performance in classrooms. 17. Eye contact between teachers and students is not important in the learning process. 25.1 60.0 14.1 0.4 3.5 17.5 61.4 17.5 37.7 56.6 5.7-27.2 53.5 18.4 0.9 33.3 58.3 8.3-46.9 49.6 3.5-20.3 64.3 15.4-22.9 61.7 14.1 1.3 3.5 10.6 53.7 32.2 18. Size of tables and chairs used in writing affects learning performance. 28.6 58.0 12.5 0.9 19. You prefer a regular classroom using individual fold-out desks. 3.6 11.6 53.6 31.3 20. You prefer the classroom of 000101 English for Communication which provides big shared tables. 37.5 59.8 2.7-21. Learning by using big shared tables increases learning performance more than by individual fold-out desks. 41.1 53.6 3.6 0.9 Table 1: Attitude of participates to classroom physical appearance and classroom environment
730 Question 22: Where do you think you become the most productive? Percentage (%) Complex: A building containing a cafeteria, convenience stores, tables and seats, lighting, banks, and shops. 1.8 Library 5.4 Coffee shop 19.6 Department store 0.9 Private room 53.6 Classroom 0.9 Others 6.3 Table 2: Results of question 22 Question 23: Choose one classroom that you prefer Percentage (%) The modified classroom furnished with individual fold-out desks 0.9 The modified classroom furnished with shared tables 95.5 A regular classroom 0 Any classroom 2.7 Table 3: Results of question 23 Outstanding results Number statements Percentage (%) 1. Almost all participants preferred to use sharing table 97.3 2. participants did not prefer the individual fold-out desks 84.9 3. participants said eye contact between students and teachers is important to their learning performance 4. Participants thought that classroom design is important for their study 85.9 91.6 5. Participants thought that beauty of the classroom affects their 76.7
731 attitude to the course 6. Technology affected participants attitudes toward the course. 84.2 Table 4: Outstanding results from the questionnaire Some comments from participants 1. I like the modified classroom; it suits for a developed country. 2. Width creates comfort, and it is easier to share knowledge. 3. All classrooms should redesign like the modified one. 4. Individual fold-out desks are too small; belongings always fall from the desks. 5. Individual fold-out desks are not so convenient for group work. 6. Participation in group work increases. 7. Facilities in the modified classroom are interesting. 8. My enthusiasm increases, so my learning performance increases. 9. I can share the books with my classmates. 10. Big tables provide more writing and working space. 11. Bright colors keep me awake. 12. I want to design a classroom. Significant relations between statements The research was further conducted to acquire any significant relations between statements under the 0.05 level of significance (P Value). SPSS (Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences) computer program was used in terms of calculating by cross tabulation function. Signified results based on participants attitude 1. The physical appearance of the classroom affects learning performance 2. The emotion of participants has significant relationship on the participants learning performance. 3. Participants, who thought the number of their classmates affects their performance in class significantly thought that the classroom appearance affects their emotions. 4. The design of a classroom had significant effect to learning performance. 5. Learning performance of participants significantly related to their course preference. 6. The size of table and chair in the classroom significantly affected participants attitudes on learning performance. Results of classroom physical appearance to learning performance Participants English learning performances from 7 English classes were analyzed by Paired- Sample T-Test to compare between performances of learners using the re-designed (modified) classroom and non-modified. A comparison between participants learning performance using re-designed and non-modified classes is shown in Tables 5, 6 and 7, which indicates the number of students in each class, their test scores, their in-class scores, their total scores, average score of each class, and their grades.
732 Comparison between sections using modified and non-modified classrooms Non-modified classroom participants' learning performance Sections Raw Final Final (32%) In class (68%) Total (100%) M-45 34.10 10.91 43.55 54.46 M-42 34.64 11.09 40.90 51.98 M-135 41.88 13.40 49.94 63.35 Average 36.88 11.80 44.79 56.60 Table 5: Performance of participants using non-modified classrooms Modified classroom participants' learning performance Sections Raw Final Final (32%) In class (68%) Total (100%) M-67 28.70 9.18 26.31 35.49 M-31 38.24 12.24 45.12 57.36 Average 33.47 10.71 35.72 46.43 Table 6:Performance of participants using modified classrooms Performance Comparison Classroom Average Average In Average Total types Final Score Class Score Score Non-modified classroom 11.8 44.79 56.60 P Value Modified classroom 10.71 35.72 46.43 Differences 1.09 9.07 10.17 0.1 Table 7: Performance comparison between non-modified and modified classrooms According to Tables 5, 6 and 7, data were analyzed by SPSS (Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences) computer program to run Paired-Sample T-Test. Table 5 and 6 showed that the highest average total score was class M-135 which was taught in a non-modified classroom, while the lowest class average score belonged to class M-67, which was taught in the modified classroom. After Paired-Sample T-Test, the results indicated that classroom physical appearance did not
733 have a significant relationship on actual English learning performance of participants as the result was under the standard of 0.05 level of significance as shown in table 7. Recommendations Although the results indicated that learning performance was not affected by classroom physical appearance, raising more positive attitude to a particular class is possible by decorating classrooms. Facilities of higher quality seem to please students since they perceive as the institute pay more attention to them. Recommendations are as followings: 1. If an academic institution requires increasing learners satisfaction, classroom physical appearance should be concerned. 2. The working area in classrooms should be seen as one of important facilities. 3. Technology in classroom can draw students attention and create positive attitude toward classrooms. 4. Teachers should be able to design their own classrooms. 5. A further study should be conducted to explore the relationship between the physical appearances of classrooms and the teachers performance. 6. A further study should be conducted to explore the relationship between physical appearances of classrooms and their effects upon reducing of disruptive behaviors. 7. In terms of group work, large tables or big desks should be provided. References Fraser, B.J. (1998). International learning handbook of science education, Dordrecht: Kluwer. Gates, G. S. (2000). Teaching-Related Stress: The emotional Management of Faculty. The review of higher education, 23(4), 469-490. Jeffrey P. D. (2008) Using student perceptions to compare actual and preferred classroom environment in Queensland schools. Educational studies, 34(4), 299-302. Kaya, N. & Epps, H. H. (2004). Relationship between color and emotion: a study of college students. College Student Journal. 38(3), 396-405. McCarthy, J. E. & Benally, J. (2003). Classroom management in Navajo Middle School. Theory in Practice, 42(4), 296-304. Sapna C., Saenam K., & Andrew N. M. (2011). Classrooms matter: The design of virtual classrooms influence gender disparities in computer science classes. Computers & Education, 57(2011), 1825-1835. Soontaree Doungtipya. (2003). The development of classroom environment for achievement in learning competence in Rajabhat Institutes. Master Education, Chulalongkorn University. Bangkok: Graduate School.
Wentzel, K. R. (2003). Motivating students to behave in Socially Competent Ways. Theory into practice, 42(4), 324-325. 734