Ambiente académico y adaptación a la universidad: Un estudio con estudiantes de 1o a o de la universidad do Minho

This paper analyses how the students’ perceptions about the quality of their classroom environment influence their adjustment and academic experiences. Additionally, it also explores whether their classroom perceptions vary by gender and/or field of studies. A sample of 667 first-year students from 16 different degree courses in University of Minho participated in this study. Students answered to the Classroom Environment Scale (CES; Moos & Trickett, 1974) and the Questionnaire of Academic Experiences (QAE; Almeida & Ferreira, 1997) at the beginning and at the end of the second semester, respectively. Results showed a quite positive pattern of students’ classroom environment perceptions, although some significant differences by gender and field of studies have been observed. Furthermore, these perceptions influence positively and in a statically significant way the quality of students’ academic experiences. These results point to the importance of contextual variables in the campus organization in order to promote students adjustment, learning and psychosocial development.