A Study Of Non-English Major Students' English Classroom Environment In D Normal University

Classroom Environment is the place where students spend most time learning and has big effects on students' academic achievements and English learning attitudes according to previous studies.Scholars have studied Classroom Environment for several decades.However,most studies were done to investigate science Classroom Environment.There is space to do research on English subject.This study aimed at investigating non-English major students' perceptions of their college English Classroom Environment and their associations with students' outcomes in terms of students' academic achievements and attitudes towards English learning in D Normal University.There are three research questions in the current study:1)What are non-English major students' perceptions of English Classroom Environment?2)What are students' attitudes towards English learning?3)What are the associations between students' perceptions of English Classroom Environment and outcomes in terms of students' academic achievements and attitudes towards English learning?The study was released among 837 non-English major sophomore students in 20 classes in D Normal University.The researcher adopted three quantitative instruments to conduct quantitative analysis.First,the researcher adapted the WIHIC made by Fraser in 1969.The researcher chose six scales in the questionnaire to investigate students' perceptions of English Classroom Environment.Second,the researcher implied the preference scale from TOSRA developed by Fraser in 1981 to assess students' attitudes towards English learning.Third,the researcher employed students' English scores in their freshman final English exam to analyze the associations between students' perceptions of English Classroom Environment and students' academic achievements.To test the validity and reliability,she did a pre-test among 325 students.After analyzing the data in SPSS17.0,she got the results that the modified questionnaire had good validity and reliability.At last,the researcher did a real test among 837 students and the available samples were 671.The researcher adopted the qualitative method,namely students and teachers' interviews to further explain and analyze the data results.The study showed that these students were basically satisfied with their English Classroom Environment;they just had acceptable attitudes towards English learning.In the WIHIC,Student Cohesiveness,Teacher Support Involvement,Task Orientation and Cooperation could positively predict students' academic achievements,while the Equity scale had negative impacts on students' academic achievements;in the WIHIC Student Cohesiveness,Teacher Support,Involvement,Task Orientation and Equity could positively predict students' attitudes towards English learning,while the Cooperation scale had a negative effect on students' attitudes towards English learning.The study provided some advice for college English teachers.First,English Classroom Environment is very important since most aspects of Classroom Environment can influence students' academic achievements and attitudes.Thus,English teachers can improve their English Classroom Environment to improve students' academic achievements and learning attitudes.Second,in this study,the Task orientation in the WIHIC could significantly positively affect students' academic achievements and learning attitudes.English teachers could get students to know the importance of the tasks better,combine the knowledge with interesting topics to attract students' attention when teaching something,create them a relaxing Classroom Environment and assign tasks in students' maximum approach area.Third,the Equity scale had negative effects on students' academic achievements in this study.English teachers should improve the quality of the Equity they supported.English teachers can design different levels tasks for different English levels students to make students truly felt the Equity in English classes.Last,the Cooperation scale in the WIHIC had negative effects on students' attitudes towards English learning.English teachers should improve the quality of their cooperation activities.English teachers can walk around when students have cooperation activities to make sure everyone is involved in the cooperation.English teachers can also reduce the group members,design tasks for each group member,and ask different group members to sum up group ideas in turn to ensure each member can participate in the cooperation activities.