Perspective of educational environment on students' perception of teaching and learning.

ABSTRACT

Cross-sectional research was designed using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) to examine the impact of the educational environment on students' perceptions of learning and teaching in a university offering higher education. Using a Likert scale, 300 participants from various streams were assessed. There were no disparities in the students' judgments in the five DREEM categories of discipline, accommodation, gender, level of study, and disciplines. In general, students judged that the student-teaching environment was satisfactory. To investigate the validity of the DREEM, we conducted Cronbach alpha analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) employing principal component analysis with varimax rotation. Only 44 of the 50 factors were deemed to be significant, with a cumulative explained variance of 46.539%. The total construct dependability of the EFA nine-factor solutions was 0.954. Finally, only five acceptable factors explained 46.539% variance using the criteria of eigenvalue > 1 and Cronbach's alpha > 0.6. Factor analysis was appropriate as evidenced by the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy of 0.942. With a Cronbach alpha of 0.955, the revised first domain of "student perception of learning" was the most trustworthy DREEM item, accounting for 20.19% of the variance. The highest factor loading was for the item "Teaching helps me become a more active learner". A redesigned DREEM might be valuable for assessing the educational environment at institutions providing higher education.