Journal of Advances in Education Research

A Comparison of Facilitated and Unfacilitated Administration of the Beliefs about Learning Environments (BALE) Instrument

Download PDF (451 KB) PP. 38 - 46 Pub. Date: February 1, 2018

DOI: 10.22606/jaer.2018.31004

Author(s)

Eric A. Worch^*
School of Teaching and Learning, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
Emilio Duran
School of Teaching and Learning, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
Lena Ballone Duran
School of Teaching and Learning, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
Jacob N. Burgoon
School of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Policy, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA

Abstract

Science teacher educators need to formatively assess preservice teachers’ understanding of the components of an effective science classroom in order to provide remediation before they assume primary responsibility for instruction. The Beliefs About Learning Environments (BALE) instrument has been used in a number of studies to assess knowledge of effective classrooms among preservice teachers, inservice teachers, principals, students, and parents. Interestingly, however, the results showed only small differences in knowledge among the various groups surveyed. We hypothesized that a different means of administration (focus group instead of pencil paper) would produce a stronger relationship between the amount of experience teachers have learning about and teaching inquiry approaches and their knowledge of effective learning environments. We compared the BALE results from a group of senior early childhood majors with those from a group of newly-graduated early childhood majors who participated in a year-long professional development project focused on inquiry science teaching.

Keywords

BALE instrument; learning environments; constructivism; teacher beliefs

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