| Summary: | Four decades of learning environment research has consistently demonstrated that students' perceptions of their classroom environments can influence a variety of developmental outcomes. Nevertheless, despite persistent achievement gaps that continue to beleaguer schools across the nation, scant research has focused primarily on the relationship between students' classroom perceptions and preferences and their academic performance outcomes. The purpose of this study was to
explore the nature of this relationship, focusing specifically on students' person-environment fit (PE fit) and standardized test scores in writing. Quantitative survey data was obtained from grade eight students in an urban New England middle school using a new survey instrument, i.e., the Constructivist-Oriented Learning Environment Survey (COLES), while PE fit and sociocultural learning theories served as a framework for the investigation. Although this study, similar to prior
research, found significant differences between students' perceptions and preferences within their classroom, some unique gender differences relative to students' PE fit were also revealed. For example, girls reported significantly greater PE fit variances than boys in the areas of teacher support and involvement. Alternately, boys' PE fit relative to task focus was correlated with all three measures of academic performance, whereas none of the girls' PE fit measures correlated with any
of the academic performance measures. Additional descriptive data provided meaningful insights into what is or is not working for students in their classrooms and how seemingly distant district decision-making may influence students' perceptions.
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