Student, Teacher, and Observer Perceptions of the Classroom Environment Before and after the Transition to Junior High School

Student and teacher perceptions of the classroom environment were assessed during mathematics instruction in 117 sixth grade elementary school classrooms and the following year in 138 seventh grade junior high school classrooms. Observer perceptions were collected in a subset of these classrooms. As hypothesized, after the transition students were given fewer opportunities for input, interaction and cooperation; whole class task organization and the use of social comparison increased; and student/teacher relationships deteriorated. Contrary to predictions, competition was more prevalent before than after the transition and the frequency of grading did not change. It is suggested that a "developmental mismatch" may exist between maturing children and the classroom environments they experience before and after the transition to junior high school.