classroom environment problem

subject: Research Method (2012)

Topic 

Which one of classroom environment problem are more impact in lower the student performances.

Abstract

In this study, the researcher determine which of the problems in classroom environment lowering the student performances were investigated in sample of 50 students in INTI International College, Sarawak from different course. The results of investigation analyses indicated the impacts of lower performances of student are causes by problems in classroom environment, family matters, student behavior and lecturer behavior This research supports the importance of classroom management style in the classroom environment.

History of INTI College Sarawak

INTI College Sarawak is private educational institutions in Malaysia established in 1991 and all programmed are approved by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia. They have various types of students that include local students from difference races such as Chinese, Malay, Iban, Bidayuh, Kenyah, and Indian; and international students from China, Nigeria, Indonesia, Taiwan, and others. 

There are 59 classrooms and 3 lecture theaters However, only small class are open for the students to study. Although INTI College Sarawak prides itself on keeping only small classrooms so that students get personalized attention, the seating arrangements are designed to provide maximum room for students' comfort. The campus is prepared with various facilities, including a library, laboratories, multi-purpose hall, Automatic Teller Machine, cafeteria, lecture theatres, Wi-Fi throughout, Cyber Corner & Open Labs, TV room, kitchen class, Hostel, Surau and student lounge. 

Moreover, INTI offers a wide range of programmed such as Business, Computer Science, Culinary Art, Hotel Management, TAFE Accounting and Cambridge A-level. Students have a choice of completing a foreign university degree entirely in Malaysia or transfer to a partner university in the UK, the USA, Australia, Canada, Switzerland or New Zealand. 

INTI mission is to provide quality education through credit transfer and advanced standing programmed with emphasis on saving time and money. The college uses all its available resources to offer various programmed and to ensure their quality. Effective counselling, guidance and other educational support services are available to enrich every student's intellectual, cultural and social life within the College.

This research has selected 50 students from different course participant in the research. The being selected are require to choose which one of the classroom environment problem cause more impact in lower the student performances and their opinion about classroom problems namely problems in classroom environment, family matters, student behavior and lecturer behavior. 

Assumption:

This research proposal will explore and investigate which problem that will affect the students’ performances in class. The researcher assume that the student’s will share their opinion and experience either they agree or disagree based on their perception. However, it will not sure that they will answer it honestly or understand this topic very clear. Some of them may take time to think about their opinion or understand it and it will affect the researcher to prepare and complete the result if they need the result immediately.

Limitation

Students have a limitation on doing the research where it taking time to think about the title and find the information that relate to the topic whereas the information that have found may be not related to the research. The student has difficulty when the assignment is due on the same day with another subject. Students may be will confuse when search for the information and they don’t know how to start the assignment in order to complete it that why the student need to understand very clear and sure with their title.

The Importance of classroom environment

Every students demand for positive and good environment during class season. The classroom environment is where the lecturer creates and encourages can either increase or decrease a student's ability to learn and feel comfortable in the class. Nowadays, the classroom environment problem causes lower performances to college students either problem in classroom, student problem or lecturer problem. This is because behaviors can help to change a person’s level of stimulation or mood. Some students have a discriminating need for stimulation where they get bored easily, waiting is highly unpleasant, and they are often impulsive.

There are some of the advantages of having good classroom environment such as firstly, students work more productively, and share more openly. According to Erin Schreiner, 2012, through behavior management, lecture can create an atmosphere of mutual respect in which the entire student that their teach feel safe to share their opinion and problem without risk of criticism. Students will likely feel that they are free to speak their mind, as their peers may make them feel welcome or worthy. Secondly, the time spent dealing with continuous behavioral interruptions is time taken away from teaching. By setting up clear behavior expectations and consequences at the beginning of the class, teachers can create a fluid and productive class in which time is spent engaging in educational activities, not responding to student misbehavior.

Thirdly, if a lecture establishing clear and consistent standards of teaching in class, it can ensure that their classes are organized and productive, and that students do not have the opportunity to engage in fights or inflict harm on another student especially on the gender issues or criticism.

Lastly, through effective classroom management, teachers can also build healthy and mutually respectful relationships with their students, and allow students to build these positive relationships with their peers. Effective classroom management ensures that students interact appropriately, allowing for them to create strong relationships.

The Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine which of the problems namely problems in classroom, family matters, student behavior and lecturer behavior that lower the student performances. Hence, this research is to seek and choose which one of the problem has the highest impact on the lowering student performances

Research Question

This research is to study which of the classroom environment namely problems in classroom environment, family matters, student behavior and lecturer behavior causes more impact on the lower performance of student. 

Significant of study/Contribution Classroom environment problem:

Classroom Environment Problem 

Family Problem 

• Family divorce
• Parent’s always nagged or criticizes
• Financial problem in family 

Problem in Classroom 

• Noisy classroom
• Classroom’s lighting and temperature
• Poor classroom design
• Dirty, smelly and messy classroom environment 

Student Behavior Problem 

• The incivility among of student
• Students become overly dependent on lecture
• Discipline problem
• Students are bored, inattentive, or unmotivated in class
• Shyness and silent Student
• Genders issues 

Lecture Behavior Problem 

• Lecturer absenteeism
• Clashes subject among student not big deal by the lecturer
• Hot-tempered lecturer
• The lecturer has not enough knowledge and experienced in teaching skill. 
• Lecturer has high expectation beyond the student capability. 

Problem in classroom

Firstly, Noisy classroom is one of the reasons that cause lower performances of student in class. According to David, W (2008), the days of total silence in the classroom seem to have almost disappeared. Nowadays, it is impossible to find nice, calm and silent environment in classroom. Although increasing levels of classroom noise reduced the understanding of all learning in class, but it will distract student attention and focus in classroom, leading to undesirable outcomes for Lecturer and student. According to Lauren Tyree, (1999), too much noise in the classroom means that students experience difficulty hearing their Lecturers. This contributes to poor understanding, decreased attention and performance, and reduced motivation. Moreover, it takes more time repeating instructions and information and it cause less material being covered. Furthermore, it can lead the students become increasingly stressed and dissatisfied. If student became so stressful, the student might be lead to the health problem like fever, unconscious, high blood pressure, asthma, and allergies. Student normally beings exposed to various types of noise including external, environmental noise and noise generated within the classroom. It may come from desk and table movement, adjacent classrooms and hallways, exterior traffic noise and poor acoustic design, for example ineffective sound barriers and hard surfaces, resulting in excessive echo or reverberation.

The others impact of noise on children’s learning and achievements like lesson interruption and learned helplessness. According to Lauren Tyree, (1999), in lesson interruption, teachers drowned out by noise outside the classroom or from the class members, they often find they must stop in their tracks to address the problem. As a result, lessons previously proceeding as planned must be interrupted for several moments with each interruption, which can quickly add up to a significant amount of lost time. Moreover, the teacher's energy has been redirected toward eradicating the noisy interruptions. While In learned helplessness, the possible loss of hearing and a noticeable lag in reading comprehension, students who suffer too much noise in their learning environments can start to lose their ability to persist through difficult lessons and tasks. The persistent interruption of high levels of noise does nothing to encourage peace or patience while learning new subjects. Students may want stable, quiet atmospheres for healthy absorption of academic material. In the absence of this condition, frustrated students develop shorter attention spans to cope with possible and likely interjections of noise.

Secondly, classroom’s lighting and temperature will affect student achievement. According to Denise Young, (2002), classroom’s lighting and temperature should be comfortable and conducive to student learning. This is because some students need more light than others and some may want it to be warmer or cooler than others. Warm classrooms tend to lead students to be more sleepy, inattentive, and consequently bored and disruptive. For lecturer such conditions may lead to increased lecturer stress and reduced classroom effectiveness. These conditions also can relate to health problem that may causes absenteeism among the lecturer and students.

In ventilation and heating, a lack of appropriate ventilation or heating leads to less than optimal educational performance. Hot, humid classrooms affect concentration on the task in hand and impair student's learning. Even though, relatively little research has systematically studied how classroom temperature, humidity, air quality and ventilation affect the students and their lecturers. According to Karl W, Julie D, and Nick p, (2008) on ventilation and heating draws mainly on adult studies, often in work environments. In the case of humidity there may be health risks as well. For teachers such circumstances may lead to increased teacher stress and reduced classroom effectiveness. Moreover, poorly controlled classroom ventilation may lead to raised carbon dioxide levels which in turn are associated with a reduction in concentration and the ability to focus on mental tasks. Both students and lecturers show health related effects when room temperature, humidity and ventilation are inadequately controlled. This may be associated with missed schooling on the part of students and increase lecturer absenteeism.

In lighting, glare arising from reflective surfaces may be disabling, and even when just uncomfortable it may have negative effects on students and lecturer activity. The contrast between objects and the background on which they lie may have negative effects on students and lecturer activity if levels of contrast are too low and lighting levels are inadequate. Moreover, poorly managed classroom lighting may exacerbate the negative effects of poorly corrected students and lecturer eyesight and thus affect access to text and other learning resources. Greater exposure to natural light is positively associated with enhanced students’ performance, while having a view from the classroom positively impacts on students and lecturer wellbeing. According to Karl W, Julie D, and Nick p, (2008) that light colour and its perceived warmth may be associated with positive individual moods and a sense of wellbeing. Furthermore, the low levels of exposure to natural light may negatively interact with individual circadian rhythms and are associated with reduced concentration, disturbed sleep and depressed mental and social activity. This may lead to missed class for students or absenteeism among lecturer.

Thirdly, in classroom design, the poor design in teaching and study space causes lower performances of students; it may problem from the size and flexibility of the teaching and study space, and internal acoustics and minimization of external noise. The overall size of the teaching space is critical to teaching outcomes, from both a teaching and student perspective. According to Wendy S and Venise C, (2004) being in a cramped space that is too small for the way teachers want to use the space and for the number of students was a major criticism of inadequate classroom spaces. The space shape and height are also important, if no balance on space shape and height, give difficulty for teachers and students because small narrow spaces can affect students’ ability to see the board and hear the teacher, and the teacher cannot monitor the activity at the rear of the room. In arrange of chair and desk, if no space the teachers has difficulty to move around the class. Moreover, the noise levels appear greater in smaller classrooms, this is because desks are closer together among each students. They may tend to talk and play more rather than hear the learning in class. 

Lastly, dirty, smelly and messy environment in class can also affect the students’ performance. It is a well-known fact that students learn better when they’re in a clean environment. If classroom not clean, dirty and smelly, it gives uncomfortable learning environment for students. A dirty class makes it hard to concentrate on schoolwork, hear the learning in class and the students also cannot concentrate it might causes the student’s grades be low than expected. No students can enjoys being in a dirty environment. The dirty and smelly environment may also come from the air conditioner and smelly from outside class. According to Elizabeth, J & Ken, T (1999), classroom conditions improved by air conditioning but it also can distract students attention in class especially when talk about smell. The most important it may cause such harmful effects as decreased the student’s performance in class, and conditions favorable to disease like skin disease and allergies. It also decreases feelings of comfort, activity and productivity of the students, and they may be absenteeism in class. Furthermore, the smelly may also come from outside the class, especially the class near the cafeteria. The cooking smell from cafeteria can causes students loss focus when learning in class. Sometimes, certain students cannot stand the food smell, they might vomit, migraine, and fainting in class. 

Family Problem

Firstly, family divorce can have an impact on the lecturer and student classroom performance. According to Marcy and Sylvan Schaffer, (1987), marital conflicts may involve continuing trouble between parents or may extend to separation or divorce. The disruption caused by such fighting and family dissolution may affect a student's school performance. Moreover, students may also be ashamed of their parents' situation. They may attempt to hide it from their friends by absents from coming to the class. For the lecturer, family divorces can causes them stress, and depression, they cannot focus and pay attention to their students. The learning process will not be done; the lecturer might ask the student to do their own job. Sometimes, this problem cause them became hot temper during in class if their student do not achieve their expectation or disobey. 

Secondly, the children will feel unsatisfied or angry with their parent, if their parent always nagged or criticizes what they do. Sometimes parents have a hard time realizing that their child are growing up and already becoming more independent. Moreover, the students frustrated with their family will became rude and disagree with everything types of discussion happen in class. Sometimes, their show their unsatisfied and agree by fight with their friend in class. 

Lastly, family has financial problem also can affect the student’s performance in the class. Nowadays, many student face financial problem where they have difficulty in paying college fees. According to Anne (2009), some of the students did not get any loan or scholarship, so they have to depend on their parents. However, for students who came from poor background are forced to work to gain extra money to pay their fee but some students are not able to balance between works and study caused their will feel stress and give up to continue the studies.

Student behavior problem

Firstly, the incivility among of student can cause lower performance of students. Nowadays, we always hear lecturer lamenting the misbehavior of students in their classes. According to Jennifer L. & Robertson, H (2008) there is many types of classroom incivility such as annoyances, classroom terrorism, intimidation of the instructor, and threats or attacks on a person or person’s psyche. These incivility choice from arriving to class late, dominating classroom time with personal agendas, threatening to go to the head of department with complaints, to threats of physical violence or even physical attacks. These types of incivility can disrupt the learning process in the classroom. When students engage in annoying behavior  like talking on their cell phones, not only do they miss valuable learning time, they also may obstruct with the learning of those around them. Engaging in classroom discussion allows students to connect with course content in meaningful and relevant ways. When students engage in classroom terrorism, however, they may make other students less likely to participate in class discussions. This can result in less productive dialogue and thereby less learning.

Secondly, the students become overly dependent on lecturer also can cause lower performance of the students. According to Mynard, J & Robin, S (2002), dependent students cannot make decisions about their learning, do not know their own strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, they think that the lecturer is wholly responsible for their learning and do not know the best way to learn something new. They also do not set learning goal, they will only work when extrinsic motivators such as grades or rewards are offered and do not reflect on how well they are learning and the reasons. Most lecturers say dependent learners will not succeed with their studies. If students are to achieve maximum success and cope with a world which is ever changing, they need assistance in acquiring skills which will help them to be more independent. Sometimes, students who don't know how to learn are too embarrassed to ask for help from their friend, their only depended on lecturer. If their still cannot understand, their keep quiet and pretend understand the learning. They assume wrongly either that they're the only ones harboring this deficiency or that they ought to be smart enough to overcome it on their own. According to David, L (2010), the dependent students will also contribute unhappy feelings. We cannot underestimate the unhappy feeling when it relates to lower performance or fail in the subject. If their grades are low, and especially if they're forced to delay graduation or drop out, they feel demoralized and ashamed. Plans for further education are scrapped and their career aspirations are abandoned. 

Thirdly, the disciple problem in class like defiant, rowdy, or distracting of others, passing notes with other students in class, making wisecracks, asking silly question, making fun of others, disobeying authority, bossing, bullying, fighting, making unnecessary noise, making exaggerated and gesture, throwing objects, moving around without permission, talking aloud, making criticism, and whispering can cause lower performance in class. The classroom disturbances are annoying to students and lecturer. Disturbances students make it difficult for lecture to teach. Students who cannot focus or pay attention during learning season in class will disturb other students. According to Abhijit Naik (2000), students tend to be naughty, and at times this naughty behavior on their part can disrupt the momentum of the entire class. In such a situation, if the lecturers try to yell at them, it will disturb other students. 

Fourthly, students are bored, inattentive, or unmotivated in class. There is always a time in any class when students do not feel like to study and learn. They may find the topic uninteresting and they will feel bored at end they might fall to sleeps. According to Ash Tan (2009), if the lecturers teach in the class, some of the students might fall to sleeps and bored. Here are 4 reasons from the point of view of a student that feel bored and sleepy in class. Firstly, lecturer does not interact with the students in the class. Some lecturer mistakenly show more attention to the blackboard or the slideshow of their teaching instead of attention to the students who are actually in the class. Secondly, the students find the subject too boring. Some of the most boring subjects like history are often taught by boring lecturer might causes students falls to sleeps. The history subject should not be read to students, the lecturer needs to teach it in fun way so the students feel interesting and not feel bored and sleepy. Thirdly, some lecture possesses the most beautiful singing voices which could even turn bed time stories to lullabies. These lecturers speak in a monotonous voice and the words coming out of their mouths are more like chants for a sleep spell. Lastly, when action is not taken against a sleeping student, other students would surely tag along the ride to dreamland. Since the lecturer is ignorant of this problem, it then becomes a mutual understanding between the lecturer and students that sleeping is permitted in class, often seen as win-win situation between both parties. 

Fifthly, shyness and silence students also can cause lower performance in class. Shy and silence students may lack of self-confidence. Shy students are often strong people; they can do what others can't be alone. Lecturer can have a negative or positive effect on shy students. Lecturers who interpret shy behavior as willful or spiteful may punish the student for remaining silent; it is more likely to cause emotional harm to the students than to help them to develop. According to Michelle Wilkinson, (2010) shyness can affects student ability to communicate with other people and so being shy is bound to have an impact on their performance in class. Being shy also can make it difficult for the students to contribute in classroom discussions.

Lastly, genders issues also can cause lower performance of the students. The difference gender think differently, when students who actively participate in discussion, it will engage in debate and verbal sparring especially female students. According to Columbia University (2010), female students are less likely to raise their hands immediately in response to initial questions than male students and they less likely to blurt out answers or demand the teacher's attention. Moreover, when they contribute an idea or comments, they don’t really like to receive feedback, whether criticism and their comments credited from other students. When biases are happening in class, it makes some students especially female, feel inadequate. They come to doubt their own abilities and skills. 

Lecturer behavior problem

Firstly, lecturers who absents during class session. Normally, attention has been focused on the student’s attendance in schools but according to Finlayson, M (2009), the same attention needs to be focused on the attendance of lecturers who are charged with the responsibility of teaching these students. Higher Lecturer absenteeism leads to lower student performance. Usually, Lecturer’s absences during in given year, including sick leave, bereavement leave, and personal leave. This absenteeism, cause lecturers often need to reteach material, restore order, and rebuild relationships with students again. It seems reasonable to determine that a student may not view school attendance as important if their lecturer is absent from class regularly. Students in a classroom eventually lose the desire to learn when the Lecturer is frequently absent in class.

Secondly, clashes subject among student not big deal by the lecturer. The students need to arrange and solve this problem by themselves. The lecturer not really cares about this problem causes the students miss some of the classes. When the students attend the class, they already miss a lot of topic and having difficulty to understand it. 

Thirdly, hot-tempered lecturer also can cause lower performance of the students. Lecturers who are difficult to control their anger can cause them to act outside the limitations and probably can injury the students. The students react with this anger, became afraid, cannot focus on study and sometime they became rude and possible will happen a fight among the students and the lecturer. Moreover, lecturers who are bad temper are more disposed to health problem like stress, depression, high blood pressure, stomach problem, illness, ulcers, and stroke. These problems cause the lecturer absent from going to class. 

Fourthly, the lecturer has not enough knowledge and experienced in teaching skill. Sometimes, these types of lecturer feel nervous during teaching lesson. They cannot contribute more effort and the knowledge and information given to the students also limited. These causes the students cannot understand well what they try to say and the students might feel bored during class. The lecturer also cannot control the student’s behavior during class, they sometimes ignore this problem and students may become rude to that lecturer. 

Fifthly, lecturer has high expectation beyond the student capability. The lecturer has tendencies to treat students differently based on how likely they think and they can get what they expect from their students but sometimes it give negative impact to the students. Sometimes, if some of the students cannot achieve the lecturer expectation, the lecturer became biased to that student. According to Good & Brophy (1987), the students who experience this negatively biased teacher behavior are likely to set lower goals, attribute their failures to low ability, and have lower perceptions of their own self-efficacy, and set performance goals rather than learning goals.

Lastly, lecture to focusing most of their attention on classroom management issues rather than on teaching. Sometimes, the lecturer teaches out of topic what they supposed to teach. Even though, it helps the students to pay attention and focus in class rather than sleep and feel bored, but the lecturer not realize when they teach different sometimes it end up until class finish. The students will not learn an important thing about their subject. 

Literature review

In the literature review we will study on what the other think about the classroom problems, namely problems in classroom environment, family matters, student behavior and Lecturer behavior that lower the student performances. 

The impact on the student seating arrangement and design can affect the students’ academic because the students can see clearly the learning process in class (Catherine Hoffman Kaser, 2005). In MacAulay, (1990), the classroom should be set up to set the stage for the teacher to address the academic, social, and emotional needs of students. The standards for determining what three-dimensional layout is most suitable to fullfil these functions include ways to maximize the teacher’s ability to see and be seen by all the students; facilitate ease of movement throughout the classroom; minimize distractions so that students are best able to dynamically involve in academics; provide each student and the teacher with their own personal space; and ensuring that each student can see presentations, learning process and materials posted in the classroom.

Classroom management is not only discipline, it also contribute other interruptions and disruptions that also can causes the lower performance of the students (Brian, K 2010; and Kratochwill, T 2012). Creating an environment is important where students feel comfortable and it necessary to have a class that functions effectively. This is because the student ability of understand the learning in class will affect their performance later. To ensure the students will feel comfortable and understand the lesson in class, the lectures need identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the student so that the lecture can accommodate to the differences and needs of the students.

Family problems come in all shapes and sizes that will affect the students’ performance either problem in mental health problems such as depression, anxiety or phobias, illness, communication problems, domestic violence, anger, divorce, intolerance of differences, financial difficulties or excesses, step families  teen issues, and favoring or disfavoring family members (Counselling California, 2012). According to Word Press (2012), separation and divorce will interrupt the stability and predictability that children need. Other than the death of an immediate family member, divorce is the most stressful event that can affect a family. This is because children may feel a great loss as well as anxiety, anger, and sadness that they will be abandoned or losing their parents’ love. Moreover, during the divorce, the student performance will drop where there think it will not important anymore and it became often worsens.

Classroom management, often called classroom discipline, that being so importance for teachers for nearly 40 years, but the teachers acknowledged that the help with classroom management and instructional skills are needed because their concerns about student safety and their desire for the strategies to deal with students’ negative and disruptive behaviors (Kratochwill,T 2012; and Gruwell, E and Esquith, R 2007). The bad behavior of the students while in class will interrupt the learning lesson in class where it affects other student. That why the teacher that has enough experience on teaching can handle this problem where the student will feel afraid to make noisy or interrupt other students. However, for the lecture who first time teaching and never have experiences problem like this, they will feel burden and not know how to control their students. The students also will take advantages by became rude, interrupt other student, make noisy and not pay attention with the learning lesson in class. In addition, classroom management problem are the reason why first-year teachers quit from job or job burnout.

Research Methodology

Research design

The objectives of the research are to investigate which one of the classroom environment problems caused more effect on lowering the student’s performances. This section presents an overview of the methods to use in the research. This research will be using deductive approach to gathering more information from difference type methods. Deduction is the process of stating a known fact, opinion, or assumption and then perceptive from specific comments to arrive at a conclusion. The research methodology requires gathering relevant data collection to obtain the opinion, explanation and reach at a more complete understanding on the issues about classroom environment problem that lowers the student performances. 

Population 

There are 500 students in the population of INTI International College, Sarawak that include local students from difference races such as Chinese, Malay, Iban, Bidayuh, Kenyah, and Indian; and international students from China, Nigeria, Indonesia, Taiwan, and others. INTI offer many types of programmed like Diploma in Business Administration, Diploma in Hotel Management, Diploma in Computers Studies, Diploma in Culinary Art, TAFE Diploma in Accounting, Cambridge A-Level, and Degree in Business Administration and Master in Business Administration. Details of programmed a show in table 1:

Table 1: Programme available in INTI International College

The students normally work part time while study has difference propose either to gain extra money or to gain experience before expose to real job. For diploma or degree program, some of the students work for part time, they usually has financial problem and forced to work to gain extra money to pay their fee. However, for full time student they normally apply for a loan or scholarship like MARA and PTPTN in order to pay for the program fee. For Cambridge A-Level, most of the students are from rich background. They also work part time to gain experiences and pocket money either they work in their own family business or other place. Furthermore, for master students, they already have their own real job but to get better pay and high position, they tend to study for master. 

Data Collection

Data collection will be collected using primary data where it being collected through questionnaire. The researcher will gathering all the information needed in the research by prepare the questionnaires to ask students about their experience and opinion about the classroom environment problem that lower the students performances for the purposes of describing the which the problem causing more effect on the student performances. Moreover, using Questioning is usually faster and cheaper that observation, questions are simple to understand and data is reliable. The variability of results is also can be reduced and it is relatively simple to analyse the data obtained by questionnaire. Furthermore, the researcher also using data collected from different article where the researcher want to know other researcher opinion about the problem and gather relevant answer to choose which of the problem causing more effect on the student performances.

Sampling and Sampling Technique

The researcher will use stratified sampling to adopt the sample from the target population that be used for the research. In Stratified sampling, the researcher will selected 50 students of INTI International College, Sarawak. Among of 50 students be selected, in came from different types of programmed like Diploma in Business Administration, Diploma in Hotel Management, Diploma in Computers Studies, Diploma in Culinary Art, TAFE Diploma in Accounting, Cambridge A-Level, Degree in Business Administration and Master in Business Administration. The researcher also differentiated the population that being select from one or more common characteristic. The students will select either males or female, age, and their race. Details of sample a show in table 1.

Table 2: Characteristics of student INTI International College, Sarawak that being select

Data Analysis
The responses to the structured close-ended questions will be rated in percentages. The percentage of respondents for each alternative will be given and analysed. The data collected will be analysed using the computer software known as Statistical Package for Service Solution (SPSS 16).


Findings and Result

Introduction:

In this chapter will include findings of the data that had been collected from the 50 students from different courses. The results will determine which of the problems in classroom environment lowering the student performances. The result will be shown on the below table that has been analyse through the SPSS Program.

Section A: Background of Respondent


Table 1.0

Table 1.1

According to table 4 above has shown that the highest percentage of age is 20 to 21, the percentages of this category is 44%. The second highest percentage of age is 18 to 19 and 22 to 23; the percentage of this category is 24%. The third percentages of age is 24 to 25, the percentages of this category is 2%. Based on the table above, the lowest percentages of age is 26 to 30 and 36 to 40, the percentages is only 1% of the total of the respondents.

Table 1.2

According to table 1.2 above has shown that, the both male and female has same percentages, the percentage of this category is 50% each of gender. Based on the table above, show both gender are equal in the total of the respondents.

Table 1.3

Based on the table 1.3 show that, students behaviour problem is the highest percentages represents 52% in the total of respondents agree and choose that this problem causes more effect on the students’ performance. The second highest percentages is lecture behaviour problem, represents about 13% in the total of respondents and third percentages is family problem, represents about 6% in the total of respondents. The lowest percentages is problem in classroom, where it only 5% in the total of respondents.

Pie chart of the difference percentages of each problem

Table 1.4

According to table 1.4, Diploma in Hotel Management and Diploma in Business Administration is the highest percentage that represents 28% of the total of the respondents. The second highest percentage is Degree of Business Administration represents 10% of the total of the respondents. The third highest of program are Diploma in Culinary Art, Diploma in Computer Science, and Cambridge A-level, the percentage of this category is 8%. For TAFE Diploma in accounting the percentages are only 6% of total respondents. The lower percentage is MBA program that represents only 4% of the total of the respondents.

Section B: Cross tabulation of the choose of all the total respondents


Table 1.5

According to table 1.5 show that, student behavior problem giving the highest impact on lowering the student’s performance where 26 students from different programmed strongly agree and choose these problems. The second highest impact is the lecture behavior problem where 13 students agree these problems also cause impact on the student’s performance. However, only 6 students from different programmed choose family problem give impact on the student’s performance and the lowest impact on the student’s performance are problem in classroom where only 5 students choose it among of 50 students that being selected. 

How the students perception and opinion about this problem and how to handle? (Based on the table 1.5)

Diploma in Business Administration

According to students perception, most of student from Diploma in Business Administration choose student behavior highest impact on the student’s performance. This is because, the students with discipline problem will distract other students and lecture in class where it will reduce their own participation and motivation; it also can affect other students. Moreover, the students who study in college came with a lower level of academic skills, they just depend on their family wealth to survive with high level of college grades. These types of students not really care if their always fail because their can repeat the fail subject again and again. During in class their focuses on other thing rather listens what the lecturer teaching in class. This behavior can affect students’ performance in the classroom where their always get lower marks and fails in test. 

Therefore, based on Diploma in Business Administration opinion, to handle this kind of problem, the lecture needs to provide counselling service for the students so there can change their bad attitude and try to share their problem with the lecture. Moreover, to avoid the students feels bored and sleepy in class, the lecture need to try and do something new that can attract the students attention and avoid them feel sleepy and bored by playing a pop quiz game or other interesting thing relate to the study topic. 

Diploma in Hotel Management

In the perception of hotel management students, there are equal vote on the students and lecture behavior problem. For the students who choose students behavior problem as the highest impact, there also think the same where the discipline problem among the students cause impact on their performance. Some students are not focus on the study, they like to play around and distract other students who pay attention in class or focus on their phone, at the end they will not listen, hear and understand what the lecture teach in class, and when came to exam, they might fail. 

For the students who choose lecture behavior problem, from their experience, some of lecture only focuses on excellent students who achieve their expectation and not unfair in marking scheme and giving the mark. When came to race, among of the students in class are Chinese students, the lecture tend to speak and focus on the Chinese student rather than other student like Malay, Iban, and other race. When the lecture speaks Chinese language, some of the student not understands and it cause the student feel lonely and not understand what the lecture teaching in class. 

To handle this kind of problem, the lecture should be professional and know what they do in every step that they have to face when they come to their students. They didn't get their student be there with unclear explanation. Most of student wants their lecture focus with everyone and not only focus on their favorite students. If the lecture pays attention to this problem by fair to everyone, it can cause the highest effect on students’ performance. Moreover, the lecture also needs to be professional in class in the way of giving explanation so the students easy and understand the learning in class.

Diploma in Computers Science

In the perception of computer’s students, they also think the student’s behavior problem causes lower performance in class. According to them, students who came to class not really pay attention and focus, they concentration only on the phone where they paying games, Facebook, chatting and messaging in class. When the lecture ask them to switch off their phone, none of them follow, it cause their lecture became angry and stress. The students react with this anger, by became rude where their just go out from the class and when their having class, the student will absent from coming to class. 

For the students who choose problem in class, problem happens regarding to the lighting and temperature; sitting arrangement; dirty, smelly and messy classroom; and noisy classroom. If talk about the temperature, normally warm classrooms tend to lead students to be sleepier, inactive, and feel bored, and the cooler temperature can affect the student health that may causes absenteeism among the students. If talk about seating arrangement, the students prefers to set with their friend so that easy for them to talk each other rather they seat with the students who focus in class and not make distraction. Moreover, if the classroom environment to dirty and messy, the student cannot concentrate and focus in class. If the students have allergies regarding to dust, they cannot focus and tend to distract other students attention by always sneezing in class. It will affect the students’ performance and the students also not really clear and understand learning in class. 

To handle this kind of problem, in the seating arrangement, the space shape and height are important, it need a balance between it so easy for the students to see the board and hear the teacher. The management need always maintain and check any problem happen in class environment, either, their asking the maintaining department to always check the air-Cond condition in every class and ask the school cleaner to clean every class maybe one a week or twice a week. 

Diploma in Culinary Art

In the perception of culinary art’s students, they think teacher behavior problem causes more effect on the student’s performance. The students already have bad experience with this problem, where their lecture use anger and power as lecture by giving lower marks and fails them from the subject when their disobey and come to class late. Moreover, sometimes, the lecture has hot-tempered that can cause the students became afraid, cannot focus on study and sometime they became rude and possible will happen a fight among the students and the lecturer. Lecturers who are difficult to control their anger can cause them to act outside the limitations and probably can injury the students. These issues causes student feel frustrated and absents from come to class. Furthermore, the students also mention about bias lecture, where the lecturer has tendencies to treat students differently based on how likely they think and they can get what they expect from their students, if some of the students cannot achieve the lecturer expectation, the lecturer became biased to that student. The students who experience this negatively biased teacher behavior are likely to set lower goals, attribute their failures to low ability, and have lower perceptions of their own self-efficacy.

For the students who choose student behavior problem, regarding to genders issues that can cause lower performance of the students. The difference gender think differently, when students who actively participate in discussion, it will engage in debate and verbal sparring especially female students. Female students are less likely to raise their hands immediately in response to questions than male students and they less likely to blurt out answers or demand the teacher's attention. Moreover, when they contribute an idea or comments, they don’t really like to receive feedback, whether criticism and their comments credited from other students. When biases are happening in class, it makes some students especially female, feel inadequate. They come to doubt their own abilities and skills.

To handle this problem, the lecture need to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the student, it needs to recognize early so that it can be accommodate to the differences, needs and personalities each of the students. Moreover, the students need to make a report of complaint to the management about the lecture who biased in class. The lecture react this, became afraid to be bias and tend to concentrate to teach properly, if not they might afraid that tend to lose a job. 

Cambridge A-Level

All the student choose lecture behavior problem gives impact on the student performance, where as we know the lecture plays the most vital role in the class especially in handling their students during class. If the teacher is able to connect with their students well, this could bring interest among the students to study diligently and perhaps find it easier to voice out their problems regarding studies in order to improve. A helpful teacher would indeed produce academically successful students. However, some of the lectures are biased where they also focus and pay attention to certain students; this could let too emotionally and mentally affect those who are not treated fair in the class. In fact, a teacher’s comments which are sarcastic could also demoralize the students and lead them towards frustration. Sometimes, a teacher’s negative behavior actually does risk the possibility of failure among the students but it has more potential to bring impact towards students’ performance.

To handle this problem, the opinion also same like culinary art student, where the students think it better to make a report of complaint to the management about the lecture who biased in class and discuss the problem with them. With compliment, lecture will give a warning letter or be frightened giving by the management. The lecture react this, became afraid to be bias and tend to concentrate to teach properly, if not they might afraid that tend to lose a job. 

TAFE Diploma in Accounting

The student also choose students behavior problem as highest impact on the students’ performance, where all their opinion still the same what other student from difference programmed perception and opinion.

Degree in Business Administration

According to students, most of them choose students behaviour problem as highest impact on lowering the students performances. This is because; normally the student always late for class, and sometimes the student did not do the homework or last minute do the assignment given by the lecture. The student prefer playing online games or games from gaming consoles than study their lessons and doing home works or assignment, this is because the students tend to feel a bit tedious especially doing the homework and assignment where the students always spend the whole day in college, it quite stressful for them to study once they return home. Thus, this attitude behavior will affect the student result and the student performance.

For the student who choose family problem, based on their opinion, the family problem can affect lower performance in class especially regarding to financial problem. This is because, the students say, they need to pay more for the hotel subject where it expensive than other course subject. Students who come from middle and lower class family don’t get any loans or scholarship, their need to work to gain extra money to pay college fee and their daily expenses. Opportunely, when their too tired with working, when their came to class, they tend to sleep in class. This causes them cannot focus and will not understand the learning process in class. Moreover, for students who having problem when their parent are divorce, they tend to angry and ashamed of their parents' situation. They may attempt to hide it from their friends by absents from coming to the class. Thus, the family problem the faced by the students may affect the thinking of the student and thus causing the student unable to concentrate in the class. 

To handle this kind of problem, the student needs to change their study habits by having a proper time management. If the students have proper time management, it can reduce the stress. They can effectively manage their time and have an organized and prioritized schedule; this can lead a life that has significantly less stress. Moreover, proper time management can also bring the student some piece of mind, and help them to feel more relaxed. With a proper schedule, they have extra time to do the things that they can enjoy and relax. The student also no need to rushed and overworked, at the end, they can gain a sense of peace and relaxation.

Master in Business Administration

There are equal both between the student where they choose students behavior problem and lecture behavior problems has a highest impact on the students’ performance, where all their opinion still the same what other student from difference programmed perception and opinion.

Result of the data

In this researches show that, among of 50 students being selected from 8 different programmed  only students from Cambridge A-level choose lecture behavior problem as a highest impact on the lowering the student’s performance. The rest of the student agree and choose the student behavior problem causes more impact in the student’s performance. This has shown that many respondents from difference course point this problem based on their opinion and perception give more negative impact on the students’ performance. 

Conclusion and Recommendation

Conclusion 

The result of research has shown that student behavior problem cause more effect on lowering the student performance. The student became rude and unsatisfied with any comments and criticism given to them during class. They disagreeing with everything people say and they like to make personal attacks to any who contribute the idea or comments. They not really care, other students feeling as long their satisfied. Moreover, some of students shy and too silence, these types of students not really participation in class discussion. They come to class, seat far from friends and lecture, and sleep until class finish. This behavior gives negative impact to themselves and their performances in class, they not understand anything that being teach, at the end, they get lower marks or sometimes fails the subject. Based on the research, it has shown that important to control and manage the student behavior problem in order to get better performance of the students in class. According to the result has shown that student behavior problem give more negative impact on the students’ performance. 

Recommendation 

In order to handle the student behavior problem, the participant and attention of the lecture are importance to manage the student’s behavior  either advice, slowly scold them or giving reward to the student who gets better result in their study. The students will react with this reward by study smart, focus more attention in class, understand the learning process in class, and pay attention. However, the lecturer need to remember, if their always talk about the reward; they need to fulfill it, not just only simply talk to get the attention of the student. If the lecture always lies about giving the reward, the student will not believe it anymore, they will not pay attention in class and sometime became agree and rude to the lecture. This will cause the students has a bad relationship with the lecture and get lower mark on their performance. 

Furthermore, the participant and attention of the family also importance in order to monitor and advise the student. Parent also need to know to improvement of the children performance by came to college on parent-lecture day event, at that time, the parent can ask the lecture about their children performance in class either increase, or decrease. Moreover, the lecture need take this take to complaint to their parent how the student performance in class either they always came to class late, sleepy in class; distract other, or lower result. 

References

American Institute of Physics (AIP), 2011, Simulated Classroom Used to Study Effects of Noise and Reverberation on Learning, viewed on 23 February 2012, from <http://www.newswise.com/articles/simulated-classroom-used-to-study-effects-of-noise-and-reverberation-on-learning>


Abhijit, N 2000, Classroom Management Strategies, viewed on 25 February 2012, from <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/classroom-management-strategies.html>


Counselling California, 2012, problem in family member, viewed on 11 April 2012, from <http://www.counselingcalifornia.com/c_problems_with_family.cfm>


Catherine H.K, 2005, Classroom Environment: Arranging the Physical Environment of the Classroom to Support Teaching/Learning, viewed on 2 April 2012, from <http://education.odu.edu/esse/docs/classroomenvironments.pdf>


Columbia University, 2010, gender issues in the college classroom, viewed on 28 February 2012, from <http://www.google.com.my/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=student%20problems%20in%20classroom%20college&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDQQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.columbia.edu%2Fcu%2Ftat%2Fpdfs%2Fgender.pdf&ei=OzlOT6qFKc_irAe02PytDw&usg=AFQjCNGqQ7KIZAeHFdSIuc2SuAWRUB6UDg>


David, L 2010, the number one cause of college unhappiness, viewed on 24 February 2012, from <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-college-shrink/201009/the-number-one-cause-college-unhappiness>


Elizabeth, J & Ken, T 1999, Influence of the School Facility on Student Achievement: Thermal Environment, Viewed on 24 February 2012, from <http://www.coe.uga.edu/sdpl/researchabstracts/thermal.html>


Erin Schreiner, 2012, what are the Benefits of Classroom Management, view on 26 April 2012, from <ttp://www.ehow.com/list_6374960_benefits-classroom-management_.html>


Finlayson, M 2009, the Impact of Lecturer Absenteeism on Student Performance, viewed on 2 April 2012 from <http://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=etd&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com.my%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3DLecturer%2520cause%2520lower%2520performance%2520of%2520the%2520student%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D9%26ved%3D0CGAQFjAI%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fdigitalcommons.kennesaw.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1006%2526context%253Detd%26ei%3DQzc5T8qQKIPyrQfFsoTWBQ%26usg%3DAFQjCNEtnQmFzX2VsKb4yeXpKD9a9ncoUA#search=%22Lecturer%20cause%20lower%20performance%20student%22>


Good & Brophy, 1987, teacher expectancy, viewed on 28 February 2012, from <http://education.calumet.purdue.edu/vockell/edPsybook/Edpsy5/edpsy5_expectancy.html>


INTI Education Network, 2011, INTI College Sarawak, viewed on 15 April 2012, from <http://www.newinti.edu.my/main/about-campuses-icsk>


Jennifer, L & Robertson, H 2008, Civility in the College Classroom, viewed on 20 February 2012, from <http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=2429>


Karl W, Julie D, and Nick p, 2008, primarily environment, viewed on 24 February 2012, from<http://www.google.com.my/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=effect+on+classroom%E2%80%99s+lighting+and+temperature+&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDcQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.primaryreview.org.uk%2Fdownloads%2FInt_Reps%2F9.Teaching-learning%2FRS_6-1_briefing_160508_Built_environment.pdf&ei=S4RLT839F8KzrAf067TTDw&usg=AFQjCNEsz2mwy50j6bManj0xan8Bo3cQAg&sig2=xSldQujFxLa27u-_tBsIow>


Kenneth, G, Langone & Robert M, 2002, problem behaviours in the classroom: what they mean and how to help, viewed on 7 February, 2012, from <http://www.aboutourkids.org/files/articles/nov_dec_2.pdf>


Lauren, T 1999, the Harmful Effects of Classroom Noise, viewed on 23 February 2012, from<http://www.ehow.com/info_7961491_harmful-effects-classroom-noise.html>


Marcy and Schaffer, S 1987, the impact of divorce on the child in the classroom, viewed on 29 February 2012, from < http://www.lookstein.org/articles/divorce.html>


Melissa, K 2012, how to deal with confrontational students in your classroom, viewed on 1 March 2012, from <http://712educators.about.com/od/discipline/tp/confrontational_students.html>


Michelle, W 2010, how being shy can affect your school experience, viewed on 26 February 2012, from <http://www.helium.com/items/2007577-how-being-shy-can-affect-your-school-experience>


Mynard, J & Robin, S 2002, independent learning in your classroom, viewed on 24 February 2012, from <http://ilearn.20m.com/research/zuinde.html>


Tan, A 2009, why do students sleep in class, viewed on 26 February 2012, from <http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Do-Students-Sleep-in-Class?&id=2918814>


Wendy S and Venise C, 2004, Classroom design, viewed on 24 February 2012, from <http://www.google.com.my/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=effect+on+classroom%E2%80%99s+lighting+and+temperature+&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CEQQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.minedu.govt.nz%2F~%2Fmedia%2FMinEdu%2FFiles%2FEducationSectors%2FPrimarySecondary%2FPropertyToolbox%2FStateSchools%2FDesign%2FGeneral%2FClassroomDesignReport.pdf&ei=S4RLT839F8KzrAf067TTDw&usg=AFQjCNFWloAL6dtfFZBht_Cpsw3AQuC6MA&sig2=rupBU_gF8oU1NgAhudtMtw>


Williams, R 2010, bad behavior in the classroom is being fulled by parents, viewed on 20 February 2012, from <http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/mar/23/classroom-behaviour-spoilt-by-computers>


Yin, C.C 1994, classroom environment and student effective performance: an effective profile, viewed on 22 February 2012, from < http://www.jstor.org/pss/20152415>


Young, D 2002, Classroom Environment: the basic, viewed on 19 February 2012 from <http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/734>


Word Press, 2012, Divorce: Social issues affecting children and their families, viewed on 11 April 2012, from <http://www.transitioning.org/2010/05/01/divorce-social-issues-affecting-children-and-their-families-merck-com/>