In Moos' theoretical framework, thesystem maintenance and system
change dimensionsmeasures the extent to which the environment is
orderly and clear in its expectations, maintains control and
responds to change.
These dimensions include measuring dimensions of order and
organisation, clarity, control and innovation.
Order and Organizationassesses the emphasis on students behaving
in an orderly and polite manner and on the organization of
assignments and activities.
Rule Clarityreflects how much emphasis is placed on establishing
clear rules, consequences of misbehaving, and the extent to which
the teacher is consistent in dealing with rule-breakers
Teacher Controlmeasures how strict the teacher is in enforcing
rules, the severity of punishment, and how much students get into
trouble in the class.
Innovationassesses how much students contribute to planning
classroom activities, and the extent that the teacher uses new
techniques and encourages creative thinking.
In a classroom setting, this would refer to the interaction
between the teacher and the students and even between students.
Moos divided the human environment into 3 different
dimensions:
Relationship Systems maintenance & Change Personal
GrowthMoos' (1976) has convincingly argued that these three
dimensions underpinned all socially created environments.Vastly
different social environments, including educational, can be
investigated using these social climate dimensions (Moos, 1991).
One of Moos' contributions was to show that the same basic types of
dimensions characterise diverse human environments.
Rudolf Moos (1974) was interested in the dimensions of social
climates. Moos researched the perceptions of the environment of the
members of the environment as well as the well-being of the
participants. Moos's (1974b) social climate scales were developed
for use in hospital wards, juvenile and adult correctional
facilities, residential care settings, therapeutic groups,
sheltered workshops, work settings, families and classrooms. Moos
(1986) designed the instrument, the Work Environment Scale (WES).
It contained scales that are also appropriate for examining the
dimensions of school environments. The instrument was designed to
gather data on the key dimensions of Personal Growth, Relationships
and Systems, Maintenance and Change. Data gathered through the use
of the instrument was able to shed light on staff involvement, peer
cohesion, supervisor support, autonomy, work pressure, clarity,
control, innovation and physical comfort (Moos, 1986).
Any instrument that is crafted has to fulfill Moos' scheme where
the scales are classified.
(Sources: Retrieved November 27, 2008
fromhttp://www.aare.edu.au/02pap/ken02087.htm, Retrieved November
27, 2008
fromhttp://adt.curtin.edu.au/theses/available/adt-WCU20070821.130144/unrestricted/03Chapt2.pdf.)
or the Classroom Environment Scale,The 90 items of the CES are
grouped into nine subscales with three dimensions.
Personal GrowthThisdimension measures the emphasis on completing
planned activities and staying on the subject matter as well as how
much the students compete with one another for grades and
recognition and how hard it is to achieve good grades. Task
OrientationCompetition
