Interpersonal behavior, laboratory learning environments, and student outcomes in senior biology classes

The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between students' perceptions of their biology teachers' interpersonal behavior and their la boratory learning environments and their attitudinal, achievement, and perf ormance outcomes. A sample of 489 students from 28 senior biology classes i n eight schools in Tasmania, Australia completed the Questionnaire on Teach er Interaction (QTI) and the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI ). Responses to two attitude questionnaires, achievement on an external wri tten examination, and performance in laboratory practical tests were used a s student outcome measures. Statistical analyses supported the reliability and validity of the QTI and the SLEI when used with senior secondary biolog y students. We investigated associations between students' perceptions of t eacher behavior and their laboratory learning environment with student outc omes, including the unique and common contributions of the QTI and SLEI to variance in student outcomes. Associations with students' perceptions of th e learning environment were stronger for the attitudinal outcomes than for the cognitive or practical skills outcomes. Some commonality between the QT I and SLEI scales was found in their contributions to the variance in attit udinal outcomes, but not in their contributions to variance in cognitive an d practical skill outcomes. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.