•A meta-analysis to synthesize the relations between classroom climate and youth development.•Classroom climate had positive associations with social competence and academic achievement.•Classroom ...climate had negative associations with internalizing and externalizing behaviors.•Classroom climate effect on children’s outcomes differed by child and study features.•This study underlines the role of classroom socialization processes in youth development.
Although research has documented the link between classroom climate and children’s learning, evidence about whether and how classroom characteristics are linked to academic and psychological outcomes remains equivocal. This study used a meta-analytic approach to synthesize existing research with the goal of determining (a) the extent to which classroom climate as a multidimensional construct was associated with youth’s academic, behavioral, and socioemotional outcomes from kindergarten to high school and (b) whether the relations between classroom climate and youth’s outcomes differed by dimensions of classroom climate, study design, and child characteristics. Analysis included 61 studies (679 effect sizes and 73,824 participants) published between 2000 and 2016. The results showed that overall classroom climate had small-to-medium positive associations with social competence, motivation and engagement, and academic achievement and small negative associations with socioemotional distress and externalizing behaviors. Moderator analyses revealed that the negative association between classroom climate and socioemotional distress varied by classroom climate dimensions, with socioemotional support being the strongest. The strength of the associations between classroom climate and youth’s outcomes also differed by measurement of classroom climate and study design, though the patterns of the associations were mostly consistent.
Building on previous research on critical consciousness and civic development among youth, the current study examined the extent to which an open climate for discussion—one in which controversial ...issues are openly discussed with respect for all opinions—relates to youth’s critical consciousness and whether this association differs for youth from racial/ethnic majority versus minority backgrounds. Critical consciousness consisted of three components: the ability to critically read social conditions (critical reflection), feelings of efficacy to effect change (sociopolitical efficacy) and actual participation in these efforts (critical action), in both the educational and political/community domains. Open classroom climate was operationalized at the classroom rather than individual student level to more accurately draw links to educational policy and practice. Multilevel analyses of the 1999 IEA Civic Education Study, a nationally-representative sample of 2,774 US ninth-graders (50 % female; 58 % white), revealed that an open classroom climate predicted some, but not all, components of critical consciousness. Specifically, open classroom climate was positively related to sociopolitical efficacy in both the educational and political domains and to critical action in the community domain, but was not related to critical reflection. Few differences in these associations were found for youth from racial/ethnic majority versus minority backgrounds. The exception was sociopolitical efficacy in the educational domain: open classroom climate was particularly predictive of sociopolitical efficacy for minority youth. The findings are discussed in regard to previous research on open classroom climate and youth critical consciousness; and implications for future research and educational practice are drawn.
Although several approaches for addressing students’ multilingualism have been proposed, their implementation in class has often been challenged, with classroom-related concerns voiced over key ...dimensions of teaching quality. This study investigates the relationship between a teaching unit including translanguaging and students’ perceptions of teaching quality in multilingual elementary school classes in Germany. Using data from an intervention study involving 48 classes and 865 students, the results provide empirical evidence to allay concerns over implementing translanguaging in multilingual classrooms, enhancing the understanding of the connection between translanguaging and teaching quality.
We investigated rank-order continuity and mean-level change in adolescents’ self-esteem, academic self-concept, and social self-concept and tested whether interindividual differences in ...intraindividual change could be explained by four dimensions of classroom climate (i.e., teachers’ focus on students, learning community, pressure related to social or achievement issues, and rivalry and disruptions in class). The effects of classroom climate dimensions were investigated at the individual and classroom levels. The study comprised 2722 students from 98 classes who participated in four waves from grades 5 to 8. Rank-order continuities of self-esteem, academic self-concept, and social self-concept were substantial. Multilevel regressions revealed a significant nonlinear mean-level change in all constructs under investigation, indicating an initial decrease that became smaller over time. In self-esteem and social self-concept, the trend shifted from an initial decrease to an increase. Multilevel regressions revealed significant interindividual differences in the changes over time in all constructs. Change in academic self-concept was significantly predicted by all classroom climate dimensions on the individual level. Change in self-esteem was predicted by teachers’ focus on students and pressure related to social or achievement issues on the individual level. Change in social self-concept was not predicted by any classroom climate dimension.
Social networking platforms, such as WhatsApp, constitute a major part of adolescents’ social lives. Alongside the positive aspects of such platforms, there is a risk of using them as a means for ...cyberbullying. Schools have become increasingly aware of this risk and are prioritizing fighting cyberbullying through intervention programs, yet few interventions have been studied for their effectiveness. This study reports the results of a wide-scale school-based intervention designed to reduce cyberbullying and improve usage norms in WhatsApp classmates’ groups. Data were collected from 52 classes in 12 public schools in Israel: n = 47 elementary school classes, 4th to 6th grades, and n = 5 middle school classes, 8th grade. A total of 1402 students answered questionnaires pre-intervention (51% females), while 90% of them (n = 1268, 52% females) answered questionnaires 1 month post-intervention. Results indicated a significant decrease in WhatsApp cyberbullying and a significant improvement in classroom climate. In addition, improvement in WhatsApp usage norms was positively correlated with a decrease in WhatsApp cyberbullying.
The global need to reverse political disaffection has motivated researchers to seek ways of fostering citizenship engagement. This study focuses on the role adolescents’ citizenship self-efficacy ...plays in linking civic knowledge and classroom climate to civic engagement. We use data from 4838 Chilean students (
M
age
= 14.16) who participated in the International Civic and Citizenship Study (ICCS). Using structural equation modelling, a mediational model with multilevel clustering showed that civic knowledge positively affects formal participation, but not civil participation, while an open classroom climate increases both forms of engagement during adolescence. Citizenship self-efficacy mediates the relation between classroom climate and both types of participation. We discuss the implications of these findings for the design citizenship education curricula for youth who live in contexts of inequality.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is the product of “internet + education,” which offer the open educational resources to global students. This study analyzed the factors influencing the continued ...intention to use the MOOCs by students. To achieve research objectives, this study integrated the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and connected classroom climate (CCC). In this study, 312 valid samples were used to verify the hypothesis proposed with the help of structural equation modeling and PROCESS. The results showed that the factors of UTAUT model (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions) had significant positive effects on continued intention to use MOOCs. More importantly, there was a significant moderating effect of CCC between UTAUT and the continued intention to use MOOCs. Based on this research the findings, implications and limitations are discussed.
The present study investigated the association between classroom climate and creativity and the indirect effect of autonomous motivation. Senior high school students (N = 472) completed ...questionnaires measuring classroom climate and autonomous motivation and two tasks in the Torrance tests of creative thinking. Correlation analysis showed that dimensions of class climate were positively correlated with creativity, and autonomous motivation was also positively correlated with creativity. Structural equation modeling revealed that both the teacher-support and task-orientation dimensions of classroom climate showed indirect positive predictions for creativity through autonomous motivation. Our findings improve the understanding of the association between classroom climate and creativity and its indirect mechanism. Further, these results can inspire methods to cultivate creativity in school settings.
•Teacher support in classroom climate is an indirect positive predictor of creativity.•Task orientation in classroom climate is also an indirect positive predictor of creativity.•Autonomous motivation plays an indirect role in the association between classroom climate and creativity.
Positive social and personal aspects have been described as factors behind student engagement. This study aimed to identify the direct effects of classroom climate and eudaimonic well-being on ...student engagement. In addition, research on student engagement in universities is scarce, and most research on this phenomenon is performed in developed countries (also known as WEIRD). Therefore, we include undergraduates from two Latin American countries. Participants were 625 students enrolled in one of the two collaborative institutions from Mexico and El Salvador. Data was collected through an online form. Three hypotheses were proved by comparative statistics analysis and a structural equation model (SEM). Results indicate that pupils in Mexico and El Salvador report classroom climate and eudaimonic well-being differently (H1). In addition, SEM analysis indicated that 49 % of Student engagement was explained by the direct effects of classroom climate (H2) and eudaimonic well-being (H3). Our findings highlight the importance of improving social and individual context in higher education institutions for these two Latin American countries. The implications of these findings are discussed.
The contribution focuses on the issue of teacher authority and classroom climate. Our research aimed to determine a relationship between teacher authority built on the teacher’s interaction style and ...dimensions constituting the classroom climate. The research involved n = 411 students who assessed the interaction style of their teachers (n = 23). The Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and Classroom Environment Scale (CES) were employed. Analysis of empirical data showed a statistically significant positive relationship between the interaction style-built teacher authority and classroom climate dimensions. The statistically significant positive relationship was between the interaction style dimensions: helpful, understanding, student responsibility and the classroom climate dimensions: involvement, task orientation, organisation and order, and rule clarity. A statistically negative relationship was found between the interaction style dimensions: uncertain, dissatisfied, admonishing and the classroom climate dimensions: teacher support, organisation and order, and rule clarity. According to our findings, authoritative teachers, perceived by students as good organisers, helpful, understanding, and giving responsibility, can create a positive climate in classrooms.
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