CLASSROOM LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND STUDENTS’ WRITING COMPETENCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the classroom learning environment – teacher support, collaborative learning environment, and psychological learning environment – as correlates of students’ writing competence in English Language among senior secondary school students in private secondary schools in Anambra State. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. A correlational survey design was adopted. The population comprised 24,267 Senior Secondary 2 English Language students in the 917 government-approved private secondary schools across the six education zones of Anambra State, from which a sample of 394 students was drawn using the Taro Yamane formula and proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Classroom Learning Environment Scale (CLES, α = .79) and the Students’ Writing Competence Rating Scale (SWCRS, α = .94), achieving a 98.2% return rate. Data were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient to answer the research questions and test of significance of Pearson to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level. Findings revealed a moderate positive and significant relationship between teacher support and writing competence (r = .48, p < .05), a very low, non-significant positive relationship between collaborative learning environment and writing competence (r = .07, p > .05), and a low positive but significant relationship between psychological learning environment and writing competence (r = .22, p < .05). The study concluded that teacher support is the most important dimension of the classroom learning environment associated with students’ writing competence in this context, while collaborative learning environment, as currently implemented, is not, and recommended that teachers cultivate supportive instructional relationships and redesign collaborative writing activities with clearer structure and objectives