School Climate Questionnaire: A New Tool for Assessing the School Environment

Abstract

The school environment is of great importance for the socialization of children. At school, children learn many values, rules, and skills that relate to building relationships that include friendship, support, and competition. The school largely shapes children's behavior and expectations from society in the future. This study validates the new 22-item School Climate Questionnaire (SCQ) using a sample of Russian school students. A total of 4,776 respondents from 9 to 18 years old participated in the correlational study and filled the online-survey that includes SCQ. The Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), and the Academic Motivation Scale were used to examine the convergent validity of the SCQ. Two hypotheses were examined that the new tool SCQ has structural validity (three factors) and convergent validity (which is proven by the significant correlations with victimization, aggression, mental wellbeing, and academic motivation). According to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), it was shown that the questionnaire has three factors; their reliability is satisfactory. As expected, the results revealed significant correlations between the three scales of SCQ and scales of Victimization, Aggression, Mental Well-Being, and different types of Academic Motivation. The SCQ is a reliable and valid instrument that may be recommended for use by researchers and practitioners in different areas of educational psychology.

Adaptation of the School Climate Questionnaire: Its Association With Psychological Distress, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Mental Wellbeing in Azerbaijan

“…This study was necessitated by the lack of any scale development or adaptation studies on school climate, which is a relatively new term in Azerbaijani literature. Accordingly, the validity and reliability of the SCQ developed in the recent study by Bochaver et al (2022) will be tested in the Azerbaijani population as part of this research. In addition, this study examined the association between school climate and psychological distress, academic self-efficacy, and mental wellbeing.…”

“…While the concept of learning and teaching is explained by the quality of education, the environmental structure is related to the physical environment of the school (Cohen et al, 2009). In the School Climate Questionnaire (SCQ) developed by Bochaver et al (2022), three dimensions of school climate are explained: (1) Deviant behavior, (2) school wellbeing, and (3) subjective unsafety. Deviant behavior is related to the adequacy of the school environment and compliance with social norms.…”

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“…Александрова, благодаря которым был валидизирован и представлен новый русскоязычный инструмент для измерения школьного климата, включающий шесть его значимых аспектов, таких как отношения в школе в целом и отношения с учителями, агрессивность среды и академическая культура, представления о своих способностях и дисциплина (Александров и др., 2018). Кроме того, внимание исследователей к проблеме подросткового буллинга в школах способствовало созданию опросников школьного климата, направленных на оценку таких его аспектов, которые детерминируют или имеют прямое отношение к подверженности подростка агрессивному поведению или вовлечению в травлю в разных ролях (Новикова и др., 2021; Bochaver et al, 2022;Eker, 2022). В то же время те аспекты субъективного восприятия климата в классе, которые, по данным литературы, значимы для развития одаренности и продуктивности учащихся средних и старших классов школы, не привлекли к себе в нашей стране должного внимания.…”

School Culture, Leadership Style, and Emotional Intelligence: Impact on School Climate

“…In the school setting, children acquire various values, rules, and skills related to forming relationships, including aspects such as friendship, support, and competition. Socialization significantly influences children's behavior and their future expectations from society (Bochaver et al, 2022). The establishment of a positive school climate is contingent upon the emotional intelligence and leadership styles of school administrators as they carry out their roles and responsibilities.…”