S ummary . The two previously distinct fields of person‐environment fit and classroom learning environment are brought together in a study of whether students achieve better when in their preferred classroom environment. Using a sample of 116 junior high school science classes, achievement on a set of nine affective and cognitive outcomes was related to interactions between actual and preferred classroom individualisation measured along the dimensions of personalisation, participation, independence, investigation and differentiation. Regression surface analyses revealed that some actual‐preferred interactions accounted for a significant increment in outcome variance beyond that attributable to corresponding pretest, general ability and actual individualisation. The person‐environment fit hypothesis was supported in all cases in that relationships between achievement and actual individualisation were more positive in classes containing students with greater preferences for individualisation than in classes with students with lower preferences. Findings suggest that in individualised classroom settings person‐environment fit could be as important as individualisation per se.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Fraser et al. (1983) studied this question.