| Many students perceive their learning environment to be uninteresting and unsatisfying. For the 2005 -- 2006 school year, only 58.6% of students at a school of interest were satisfied with the school learning environment. This percentage was significantly less than the 70.22% for a random sample of schools. The rationale for this study was to understand the impact of student dissatisfaction on education outcomes. The theoretical foundation is situated in sociopsychology theories that explain how learning environment factors relate to student outcomes. Correlation methods were used to examine the relationships between students' satisfaction with the learning environment and the following outcomes: retention rates, attendance rates, percentage of students on an academic plan, percentage of students on academic probation, percentage of out of school suspensions or expulsions for a violent and/or criminal offense, and absolute performance rating. Logistic regression showed a significant relationship between student satisfaction with the learning environment and the school's absolute performance rating. However, both the effect size and odds ratio were small. Partial correlation methods showed school attendance rate to be most strongly related to satisfaction with the learning environment. The I AM school advisory program was designed to improve the personal academic beliefs of students who are frequently absent from school and dissatisfied with the school learning environment. The program will effect social change by improving individual perceptions of the learning environment and learning outcomes for students who may otherwise experience failure and inevitable economic and social subjugation. |
