PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ OPINIONS ABOUT EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH

Abstract

Constructivist approach includes active learning. In active learning environment, individuals can perform high-level learning by interacting with their environment. To achieve this, physical conditions and equipment need to be sufficient. This study was conducted out of the need to identify teachers’ opinions about learning environment conditions. Qualitative research method was used in this study. Participants of the study consist of 18 teachers who work in 3 primary schools representing higher, middle and lower layers of sociocultural structure in Safranbolu district of Karabük province in Turkey. The data were collected via focus group interview based on the interview form developed by the researcher. Inter-encoder reliability co-efficient of the data, for which content analysis was applied, was found 82%. Findings of the study revealed that physical conditions and equipment of the classrooms in primary schools representing middle and higher layers of sociocultural structure were in better conditions thanks to parents’ contributions while the physical conditions and equipment of the classrooms in primary schools representing lower layers of sociocultural structure were limited, the size of the classrooms was insufficient and not suitable for different seating arrangements. It is suggested that learning environments should be arranged by taking teachers’ and students’ opinions in order to create environments that enable active learning in classrooms.

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