Relations between perceptions of the teaching environment and approaches to teaching

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Previous research has established substantial relations between students' approaches to study in higher education and their perceptions of the learning environment. More recently, there has been a growing body of research into teachers' approaches to teaching and conceptions of teaching. There has, however, been little research into their perceptions of the teaching context. AIMS: This study aimed to develop an inventory of university teachers' perceptions of their teaching environment (PTE) and how those perceptions related to their approaches to teaching. SAMPLES: The interview sample comprised 13 teachers of first year university physics and chemistry courses in two Australian..