Development and validation of automobile technology learning environment inventory in tertiary institutions of Nigeria

Abstract

Researches confirmed that a strong correlation exists between students’ perceptions of psychosocial learning environment and their outcomes. Most of these researches were carried out in science education and just very few were conducted in the area of automobile technology, especially in tertiary institutions. This paper investigates students’ perceptions of automobile technology learning environment in tertiary institutions of Nigeria. The objectives of the paper include: (a) discussing the process of developing Automobile Technology Learning Environment Inventory (ATLEI) in order to, (b) determine students’ perceptions of their actual and preferred automobile technology learning environments, and (c) to determine whether differences exist between students’ perceptions of actual and preferred automobile technology learning environments. Factor analysis of the instrument provided strong evidence that the instrument is valid and reliable to measure students’ perceptions of automobile technology learning environments in tertiary institutions of Nigeria. The findings revealed that the automobile technology students preferred a more favourable and positive learning environment. Significantly, the findings of the study may provide insight on the students’ perceptions of learning environments and the feedback could be used in improving the quality of teaching and learning automobile technology in Nigeria.