Classroom Learning Environments: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

Because students spend a huge amount of time in classrooms-approximately 20,000 hours by the time they graduate from university (Fraser, 2001)—the quality of classroom life is important in its own right. However, despite its importance, researchers and practitioners often rely heavily and sometimes exclusively on student outcomes, especially achievement. The fi eld of classroom learning environments provides one approach for conceptualizing, assessing, investigating, and improving what goes on in classrooms.