Exploring the comparison between bilingual and monolingual students’ perception of classroom environment

Abstract

Bilingualism is a phenomenon, visible in most of the countries all over the world. According to statistics, released in 2017, they make up 42% of the whole country’s population in Iran. The statistical population of this research includes 70 bilinguals and monolinguals, from among BA students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Through random cluster sampling, these individuals were selected, among whom 38 students were monolingual (Farsi), 18 students bilingual (Farsi-Kurdish), and 14 students bilingual (Farsi-Turkish). Perceptions of classroom environment questionnaire (WIHIC) has been used as a research tool. The result shows that all the subscales are significant. In fact, the comprehensiveness variable is significant at P<0/01 and support variables are significant at P<0/001. To determine the groups’ priorities, Post Hoc Test has been used and the results represented the fact that there is significant difference between the perception of classroom environment in the bilingual groups (Turkish and Kurdish) and monolingual group (P<0.001), yet there was no significant difference between the two bilingual groups (P>0.05). Thus, the perception of classroom environment and its subscales in the bilinguals’ group has been significantly higher than the monolingual group; however, there is no significant difference between the bilingual groups (Farsi-Kurdish and Farsi- Turkish).