CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature

It has been said that "we teach what we are" or even that "we teach what is going on in us at the
moment" (Postman & Weingartner, 1969). These provocative statements seem to suggest that the
way we are in our classes, the way we feel, think and behave while teachiing, can have an effect
on our learners every bit as important as the materials and techniques we use and the syllabus that
guides us. Many teachers that I have worked with feel that this is possibly the case, yet that their
training courses, practicums, and teaching literature have neither investigated these areas nor even
recognised that such areas could be investigated.

This in turn makes it difficult for teachers to formulate or articulate their often strong subjective
impressions that their own mood, attitudes and personal presence have a more profound effect on
the quality of learning that takes place in their classes than the techniques and materials they use.
The good climate for giving and receiving feedback: Am I willing to listen, without needing to
defend myself, to what they say about their learning and what they think of the way I help them?
Can I regularly ask questions like: "How are you getting on? What would you like to do
differently? What could make our activities more memorable?" At first they may not offer much
since they are not used to such questions, but can I show that I am willing to value whatever they
do say, and demonstrate that I too am a learner who is willing to take feedback into account. The
perceived environment can be just as important as the actual physical characteristics of a
classroom. Classroom environments, as perceived by students, have a number of characteristics
that influence student growth, development and achievement.

LaRocque (2008) examined students’ perceptions of their classroom environment, as well as the
possible effect of these perceptions on academic achievement. LaRocque built her study on the
notion that the most valuable information regarding the effectiveness of a classroom environment
came from the students within that classroom. She asserted that students are in an excellent position
to provide data about this environment because they are participants, capable of assessing
information that an observer may miss or consider unimportant (LaRocque, 2008). This senior
project focused on the physical environment of elementary school classrooms, with a particular
emphasis on how environmental factors

influence behavior and academic achievement. Such environmental factors included lighting,
color, acoustics, temperature, seating arrangements, space and crowding, and living kinds such as
plants and animals. Previous research has demonstrated a connection between student behavior
and the classroom environment.

Taylor and Vlastos (2009) developed a theory regarding the relationship between environment and
design within the classroom. They referred to the physical environment of the classroom as the
“silent curriculum” and hold strongly to the belief that understanding the physical environment is
essential to the education of children.
The goal of this project was to investigate empirical evidence on the importance of the physical
environment and develop a website in order to share this information with teachers and
administrators. Teachers themselves believe that teaching is “inevitably linked” with the emotional
health and well-being of the students being taught (Kidger et al., 2010). Seligman and other
positive psychologists are also not alone in the belief that schools should aim for student well-
being. For example, philosophers as far back as Aristotle have considered happiness to be the end
goal of education (Kristjansson, 2012).

Recent research has confirmed the same, as offering emotional support early in a school year can
lead to improved instructional quality later in that school year (Curby et al., 2013). In other words,
positive education is not a focus on mental health instead of academic achievement but is a focus
on mental health in order to set the stage and give students the opportunity for academic
achievement. Another way to increase student discussion is to offer participation credit. Grading
based on participation, however, can be disadvantageous to students who are more naturally shy.

One solution to this is to offer group participation credit. One study exhibited this by separating
classrooms into small groups composed of both high-participating and low-participating students
and offering credit to the entire group if all of their members participated on a given day (Taylor
et al., 2014). Teachers and researchers in positive psychology are natural allies. At its core,
education is about nurturing strengths, about growth and learning. Furthermore, psychological and
social well-being are key concerns for teachers and other educators and for people working in the
field of positive psychology” (Shankland & Rosset, 2017).

Psychological interventions have been around in schools since at least the 1930s, so it makes sense
to supplement the already-existing traditional psychology in schools with positive psychology
(Shankland & Rosset, 2017).