Teachers’ Perceptions of the Effects of Classroom Environment on Foreign Language Learning in the First Three Grades in Kuwait

Background/purpose. The study investigated the potential effects of classroom environment on foreign language learning in the first three grades in Kuwait from teachers’ perspectives. Materials/methods. To achieve the study's objectives, an electronic questionnaire was distributed to a sample of EFL teachers in Al-Jahra, Kuwait, during the 2022-2023 academic year. The questionnaire was distributed via various social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and email. Two hundred and forty-three EFL teachers of the first three grades (211 female, 32 male) volunteered to participate in the study. Results. The results of the current study indicated that EFL teachers rated all factors for physical environment (well-ventilated classroom, calm classroom environment, proper lighting, optimal classroom temperature, adequate workspace, comfortable chairs, flexible seating arrangement, good classroom display, resource-rich classroom, access to technology) as having high relative importance in EFL learning. Adequate workspace ranked first with a high relative importance. The results also revealed that EFL teachers rated all factors of the psychological environment (personalization, involvement, student cohesiveness, satisfaction, individualization, task orientation, and innovation) as having high relative importance in EFL learning. Conclusion. The study concluded that the classroom environment plays an essential role in learning. Thus, English teachers should strive to create a pleasant physical and psychological environment for their students.