ABSTRACT
Teachers expect pupils to make what Wehlage et al. called a ‘psychological investment’, measured by how pupils ‘demonstrate attention to and involvement with their schoolwork’ (Wehlage et al., 1989:177). This investment is facilitated by teachers producing a positive atmosphere in their classrooms, through making lessons interesting and stimulating, providing a safe and stimulating environment and appropriate support for learning. Classrooms are represented in a number of ways, including social, psychological and physical dimensions. What constitutes an appropriate learning atmosphere will be different from teacher to teacher and subject to subject and influenced by layout, seating, temperature and smell as well as the quality of pupil-teacher interaction. This chapter examines the influence of selected physical, social and psychological aspects of classroom environment and climate on the thinking and behaviour of pupils.
