Understanding the Theoretical Framing and Measurement of Communal Classroom Culture: Fostering Supportive Physics Classroom Communities

There is much to understand beyond the impact of active learning environments with respect to how the culture of these classrooms effectively support social interaction. Communal Classroom Culture (CCC) theory presents two core features as necessary components for creating a supportive learning community within the classroom: Social Learning and Critical Caring . Though prior research has shown that physics classes exhibiting the features of CCC benefit students both affectively and cognitively, there is currently no tool for educators or researchers to assess/measure whether CCC is being fostered in classrooms. This talk will introduce a valid and reliable tool that includes two main categories for fostering CCC, configuration of the classroom norms and functioning of the classroom as a community. Along with presenting this tool and the constructs within the framework, this study will discuss the importance of measuring CCC due to the disparity between student and teachers' perceptions.