AN ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICS LABORATORY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, TEACHER INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOUR AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH STUDENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARDS PHYSICS IN HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF JAMMU CITY

This study presents an assessment of the physics laboratory learning environments, teachers' interpersonal behaviour and students' attitudes towards physics at the higher secondary level. Two widely used questionnaires, i.e. Science Laboratory Inventory (SLEI) and the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) along with an Attitude towards Science Scale was used to assess the perceptions of students about physics laboratory learning environments. The sample consisted of 300 students taken from six higher secondary schools of Jammu city. The results of the study showed that students had positive perceptions about their physics laboratory learning environment. Students were found to be helpful, cooperative and supportive of each other in the laboratory classes. They rated their teachers in terms of exhibiting helpful and friendly behaviour, understanding of their needs and were giving freedom and responsibility in the classroom. Significant associations between student attitudes towards physics and physics laboratory learning environments were observed. Also, significant gender differences were found, and the results showed that female students felt that they were more cooperative, interested and encouraged in their physics laboratory classroom as compared to male students. No significant associations have been found to exist between teacher-student interactions and attitude towards physics.