STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN EDO STATE (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Graetz (2006) asserts that all learning takes place in a physical environment with quantifiable and perceptible physical characteristics, be it in a large lecture hall, underneath a tree, or in front of a computer screen. Lizzio, Wilson and Simons (2002) identified the learning environment as a major variable in the interacting system of the learning process.
Learning environment and how it is perceived by the students or learners have been identified as having major influence on both learning processes and outcomes. In this regard, Frenzel, Pekrun and Goetz (2007) reports that numerous studies have clearly demonstrated the significant relationship between perceived learning environment and student achievement. Randhawa and Michayluk (1974) attribute much of the reliable variance in student performance to the aptitude of the learner and the environment of learning. In the view of Zhu, Valcke, Schellens and Li (2009), the quality of student learning seems to be closely related to their perceptions of the learning environment.
In view of the foregoing, recent years have witnessed an increasing global interest and concern among all educational stakeholders regarding the role of learning environment in education cutting across all levels, from the most basic level of learning, to to the most advanced levels of tertiary education.
The increasing interest in learning environment stems mainly from the fact that the learning environment holds multidimensional implications for various aspects of student learning processes and outcomes. Students motivation and interest, emotional and behavioral disposition of students towards learning, academic performance and achievement have been established as areas on which the learning environment exerts considerable influence (Wei & Elias, 2011; Ludtke, Robitzsch, Trautwein, & Kunter, 2009; Victorian Institute of Teaching, 2007).
