Notes from: Thapa, A. & Cohen. J. (2013). A review of school climate research. Review of Educationa Research, 83(3), 357-385.
In this review, we address five
essential areas of focus, which we call the five dimensions of school
climate: (a) Safety (e.g., rules and
norms, physical safety, social-emotional safety), (b) Relationships (e.g., respect
for diversity, school connectedness/engagement, social support, leadership, and
students’ race/ethnicity and their perceptions of school climate), (c) Teaching
and Learning (e.g., social, emotional, ethical, and civic learning; service
learning; support for academic learning; support for professional
relationships; teachers’ and students’ perceptions of school climate), (d)
Institutional Environment (e.g., physical surrounding, resources, supplies),
and (e) the School Improvement Process. (Thapa & Cohen, 2013, p. 358).
“(T)here
is not yet a consensus about which dimensions are essential to measuring school
climate validly…” (Thapa & Cohen, 2013, p. 358).
“(I)t
must be understood that both the effects of school climate and the conditions
that give rise to them are deeply interconnected, growing out of the shared
experience of a dynamic ecological system (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; L. Ma, Phelps,
Lerner, & Lerner, 2009).” (Thapa & Cohen, 2013, p. 359).
“There
is growing evidence that educators also feel unsafe in schools.” (Thapa & Cohen, 2013, p. 362). The feeling of being unsafe is due to threats
and assaults by students. “The authors
also found that lower levels of student support were a consistent predictor of
school records of more threats against faculty” (Thapa & Cohen, 2013, p.
362).
The process of teaching and learning is
fundamentally relational. The patterns of norms, goals, values, and
interactions that shape relationships in schools provide an essential area of
school climate. One of the most important aspects of relationships in schools
is how connected people feel to one another. (Thapa & Cohen, 2013, p. 363)
Research has also shown that teachers’
work environment, peer relationships, and feelings of inclusion and respect are
important aspects of positive school climate. In a study of 12 middle
schools. Guo (2012) found that the
teachers’ work environment, which may be considered an indicator of teachers’
relationships with each other and school administrators, fully mediated the
path from a whole school character intervention to school climate change. This
indicates the critical foundational role of positive adult relationships for a
positive school climate. (Thapa & Cohen, 2013, p. 364)
“A
series of correlational studies have shown that school climate is directly related
to academic achievement.” (Thapa & Cohen, 2013, p. 365).
When a study was conducted regarding
student and teacher perceptions of overall school climate and academic
emphasis, it was found that teachers’ perceptions of school climate were more sensitive
to classroom-level factors, such as “poor classroom management and proportion
of students with disruptive behaviors,” whereas students’ perceptions were more
sensitive to school-level factors, such as “student mobility, student- teacher
relationships, and principal turnover (Mitchell, Bradshaw, & Leaf, 2010). (Thapa & Cohen, 2013, p. 367)
Literature indicates that when teachers
feel supported by both the principal and their peers, teachers are more
committed to their profession (Singh & Billingsley, 1998). A positive
school climate is also associated with the development of teachers’ beliefs
that they can positively affect student learning (Guo & Higgins- D’Alessandro,
2011; Hoy & Woolfolk, 1993). The National Commission on Teaching and
America’s Future defines school climate in terms of a learning community and
argues that school climate is an important contributing factor to teacher retention
(Fulton, Yoon, & Lee, 2005). Furthermore, research has shown that school
climate enhances or minimizes teacher/staff emotional exhaustion,
depersonalization, and feelings of low personal accomplishment (Grayson &
Alvarez, 2008; Higgins-D’Alessandro, 2002) as well as attrition (Miller,
Brownell, & Smith, 1999). (Thapa
& Cohen, 2013, p 367)
“School
climate—by definition—reflects students’, school personnel’s, and parents’ experiences
of school life socially, emotionally, civically, and ethically as well as
academically” (Thapa & Cohen, 0213, p. 369).
Guo, P. (2012). School culture: A validation study and exploration of its relationship with teachers'
work environment. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Fordham University, New York.
Thapa, A. & Cohen, J. (2013). A review of school climate research. Review of Educational
Research, 83(3), 357-385.
Guo, P. (2012). School culture: A validation study and exploration of its relationship with teachers'
work environment. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Fordham University, New York.
Thapa, A. & Cohen, J. (2013). A review of school climate research. Review of Educational
Research, 83(3), 357-385.
