A social psychological approach to understanding the social environment in classrooms is developed. Causal mapping techniques were used to investigate classroom environments and sensemaking within classrooms. Using unbiased interview techniques, concept structures for classrooms were developed. The research demonstrates that a homogeneous conception of classroom environments is flawed; students used highly individualistic concepts or labels to describe their classroom environments. The diversity of the cognitions represents the unique meaning that each student attributes to his or her classroom environment, defined by and mediated through relationships among students.
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