Classroom ecology studies focus on the classroom micro-system, seeking to describe and explain the interactions of students’ thoughts and behaviors with teachers’ management of academic goals and learning tasks.
The ecological paradigm conceptualizes teaching-learning as a set of interrelated task systems, all of which are influenced by the accountability strategies utilized by the teacher. In physical education, the instructional tasks system deals with the academic work of the class, while the managerial system deals with behavior and organizational requirements.
Methodologies have included mostly mixed methods research — where quantitative accounts of student engagement and teacher behaviors are supplemented by field observations and interviews.
