Session 4: Reflections

Some pointers to note when constructing questionaires:
(1) Use positively worded statements
(2) Limit number of items per scale (about 4-5)
(3) To use a 4-point Likert Scale

The groupwork session (case study) provided "real" examples on the different school climate. The one that my group did on portrayed a negative school learning environment. The school physical environment was lacking, even though the "people element" appears to be positive. Even though the prinicipal was experienced and people-oriented, that apparently didnt help in terms of the school's academic achievement. From the case study, we also found out that pupils of the school did not have any disciplinary issues. However, they lack motivation and did not have a sense of pride for the school. This shows how the both physical and human aspects of a school can impact the school's learning environment. The human aspect will include the management, the teachers and the students themself.

Very often, in our neighbourhood schools, a common "problem" faced by teachers is the discipline of the students. However, a disciplined but not motivated student will also not be able to excel. Teachers need to first have the belief that every child has the potential to succeed. Only then can we inculcate the correct values to our students so that they will have the right attitude. Also, depending on the ability of the students, we have to adjust our teachings and expectations accordingly.

Today, we also had the chance to try out the WIHIC survey ourselves, and were supposed to analyse the results using SPSS. This hands-on session is useful especially for those of us who wanted to carry out a similar assessment back in our schools.