Closing the Achievement Gap: The Association of Racial Climate with Achievement and Behavioral Outcomes

This study investigated the relationship between school racial climate and students' self-reports of academic and discipline outcomes, including whether racial climate mediated and/or moderated the relationship between race and outcomes. Using the Racial Climate Survey-High School Version (M. Aber et al., unpublished), data were gathered from African American (n = 382) and European American students (n = 1456) regarding their perceptions of racial climate. About 18% of the respondents were low-income and approximately 50% were male. Positive perceptions of the racial climate were associated with higher student achievement and fewer discipline problems. Further, race moderated the relationship between racial climate and both achievement and discipline outcomes. Finally, racial differences in students' grades and discipline outcomes were associated with differences in perceptions of racial climate. Results suggest careful attention should be given to the racial climate of secondary schools, particularly for adolescents who perceive schools as unfair.     

学生感知的学校氛围与主客观学业成绩:心理素质及其分维度的中介作用

本研究旨在探究心理素质及其分维度在学生感知的学校氛围与主客观学业成绩之间的中介作用。采用整群抽样的方法选取被试,样本一抽取北京、陕西等七个省市10所中学7~12年级共1274名学生,样本二抽取重庆、湖南等四个省市7所中学7~12年级共2190名学生。结果表明：（1）学生感知的学校氛围与主观学业成绩存在显著正相关,与客观成绩的正相关呈边缘显著,与心理素质存在显著正相关;（2）心理素质在感知的学校氛围与主客观学业成绩之间中介作用显著;（3）心理素质的不同维度在学生感知的学校氛围与学业成绩关系之间中介作用存在差异,其中认知品质在学生感知的学校氛围与学业成绩之间存在稳定的正向中介作用。研究结果启示教育者在实施素质教育的过程中,应注意营造积极的学校氛围,以此提高学生心理素质,尤其是认知品质的发展,从而提高学生的学业成绩。     

The interaction of cognitive styles and classroom environment in determining first-graders' behavior

This study investigates the importance of two “person” variables, reflection impulsivity and divergent thinking, and one “situation” variable, the classroom climate of first-grade classrooms, for the classroom adaptation of first-graders. Three types of classrooms differing in classroom climate were selected: open, intermediate, and traditional. Subjects were the children (n = 189) in these classrooms. Classroom adaptation variables included self concept, school attendance, and teacher ratings of classroom behavior, overall academic rank, and personal preference. Both main effect and interactional relationships between “person” and “situation” variables and classroom adaptation were hypothesized. Classroom environment was found to affect degree of classroom disturbance manifested by the children with students in open classrooms exhibiting most and students in the intermediate classrooms exhibiting least. Boys in the open classrooms had higher achievement anxiety and lower teacher preference ratings than boys in traditional or intermediate classrooms. Reflective children obtained higher ratings as self-reliant learners and, for boys, reflection was related to low classroom disturbance and high achievement anxiety. Interactional relationships between classroom environment and reflection-impulsivity were also found for boys. Divergent thinking was not related to classroom adjustment for boys. Girls high in divergent thinking were higher in school involvement and achievement anxiety and more preferred by teachers.     

中学生成就目标相关因素的发展研究

探索了影响中学生成就目标各因素间的相互关系及其对学业成绩的影响,并就此提出一个中学生学业活动的简洁模式。(1)中学生的认知参与和能力知觉、成就目标之间极显著正相关,学业焦虑和认知参与、能力知觉、成就目标之间显著负相关;两成就目标间的相关不显著;(2)能力知觉、认知参与、学业焦虑是学业成绩的有效预测因子。     

青少年早期学业成就的同伴团体社会化:感知学校氛围的调节作用

通过对1275名初一青少年开展为期半年的追踪调查,考察了同伴团体对青少年早期个体学业成就的影响,及感知学校氛围对这种影响的调节作用。结果表明:(1)在控制学校虚拟变量、年龄、性别、同伴团体规模及个体前期学业成就之后,所在班级前期的平均学业成就能显著预测个体后期学业成就;(2)同伴团体的学业成就能正向预测个体后期的学业成就变化,但班级相对于同伴团体的情境效应不显著。(3)在个体和同伴团体水平,感知学校氛围各维度不能显著预测个体后期学业成就,但同伴团体平均学业成就与该团体整体感知到的教师支持的交互项可以正向预测个体学业成就间隔半年后的变化。     

Goal orientation, motivational climate, and dispositional flow of high school students engaged in extracurricular physical activity

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of goal orientation, motivational climate, and dispositional flow in physical education lessons on extracurricular involvement in physical activity. Questionnaires were administered to 1,103 (792 athletes; 311 nonathletes) secondary school students (M age = 14.3 yr., SD = 0.7). Analysis showed significant mean differences between groups on goal orientation and dispositional flow in physical education lessons, but none for perception of motivational climate. These findings suggest that dispositional variables are related to extracurricular involvement in physical activity.     

The relationship between the quality of cooperative learning, students' goal preferences, and perceptions of contextual factors in the classroom

This study examined relationships between the quality of cooperative learning (CL) and students' goal preferences and perceptions of contextual factors in the classroom. Subjects were 1,920 students in secondary vocational schools. The study focused on four different types of goals: social support, belongingness, mastery, and superiority goals. It was found that social support goals had the strongest relation with the quality of CL. Further we found that the quality of CL was best predicted by a combination of social support goals, evaluations of the extent that students were taught cooperation skills, perception of teacher monitoring behavior, and the availability of academic and emotional peer support. Female students' preferences for mastery and social goals were stronger than those of male students, whereas male students had a stronger preference for superiority goals. Program type functioned as a moderator variable within the relation of students' superiority/ individuality goals and the quality of CL.     

初中生学业延迟满足的发展特点及其相关因素研究

用问卷法对194名初中生学业延迟满足的特点及相关因素进行了研究。结果表明:初中学生的学业延迟满足存在年级和性别差异,初二和初三学生的学业延迟满足水平明显低于初一学生,女生比男生的学业延迟满足能力高。课堂目标结构与学业延迟满足有显著关系,任务取向的课堂目标与学业延迟满足呈正相关关系;自我取向的课堂目标与学业延迟满足呈负相关关系。任务价值、自我效能与学业延迟满足呈正相关关系,学业延迟满足与学业成绩呈正相关关系。     

课堂环境目标影响学生成就目标的实验研究

采用现场教学实验的方法,探讨了在我国中学课堂教学中,运用TARGET教学模式引导学生的掌握目标定向,激发学习动机的有效性和可行性。被试是来自同一所中学的初中二年级两个班的学生(实验班36人,控制班34人)。研究结果表明,通过教师在课堂上实施强调掌握目标的教学干预策略,可以有效地改善学生的学习动机模式,促使学生更多地采取掌握目标,提高学生的学习兴趣和学习成绩。     

Students' perceptions of rewards for academic performance by parents and teachers: relations with achievement and motivation in college

In the present study, the authors examined college students' (N= 136) perceptions of the provision of extrinsic rewards given by parents and teachers for academic performance from elementary school through high school. They also examined the relations between reward history and present student motivational orientation. External rewards for students' grades were common at all levels of schooling. Reward history related significantly to students' motivational orientation and performance in college, and these relations were generally stronger for boys than for girls. The authors discuss implications of these findings.     

Do Satisfied Employees Satisfy Customers? Support‐Services Staff Morale and Satisfaction Among Public School Administrators,Students, and Parents

Data were obtained from school staff ( N = 1,567) who provided support services to schools in a major metropolitan school district. These data were analyzed in relation to data obtained from 3 customer groups (school administrators, students, and parents) who provided ratings of their satisfaction with services. Several aspects of employee morale (e. g., quality of supervision, teamwork, and goal clarity, along with workgroup service climate) were significantly and positively related to administrator and parent satisfaction, but not to student satisfaction. Relations of employee morale and workgroup service climate to administrator satisfaction and parent satisfaction were moderated by customer contact with employees. Results are discussed in relation to expectations of customers and employees that affect the nature of the service-exchange interaction.     

NO QUICK FIXES: ADDING CONTENT ABOUT WOMEN TO ECOLOGY COURSE MATERIALS

This study reports on a three-semester model project designed to assess the impact of enriched content related to Women's and Gender Studies on students enrolled in an undergraduate ecology course. The two constructs of interest were (a) students' attitudes toward women in science and society and (b) students' assessment of the classroom climate for women. The data included 398 matched pretest and posttest survey responses from a control group, a minimal enrichment group, and an increased enrichment group. Findings indicated that, although small course revisions did not influence students' attitudes toward women in science and society, such revisions had a positive influence on students' assessments of the classroom climate.     

Self-efficacy as a mediator of children's achievement motivation and in-class physical activity

The present study was designed to examine the mediating effect of self-efficacy on relations of middle school students' four achievement goals with their perceptions of two motivational climates and in-class physical activity in physical education. The four achievement goals (mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance), perceptions of the motivational climate (mastery- and performance-involving climates), and self-efficacy were measured in a sample of 194 students (93 boys, 101 girls) in a public school. Students' in-class physical activity was assessed using Actical Accelerometers. A series of multiple-regression analyses supported the mediating effect of self-efficacy on the relationships among students' mastery-approach goal, perceived mastery-involving climate, and physical activity.     

Triangulating School Climate: Areas of Convergence and Divergence Across Multiple Levels and Perspectives

Students often have differing perceptions of their school's climate. Although these subjective perceptions can be meaningful outcome predictors, discrepancies create challenges for those seeking to globally characterize or intervene to improve the climate of a school. Trained, independent  observers can provide insights on perceptible and ostensibly malleable aspects of the school; however, the extent to which these observations help us to understand differences in students’ report of school climate has not been examined. To study this, we assessed convergence and divergence between independent observers’ assessments and students’ perceptions of school climate at the classroom and school levels. Data come from the Maryland Safe and Supportive Schools Initiative (MDS3), which included 20,647 students and observations of 303 teachers in 50 high schools. Students responded to survey items regarding safety, engagement, and environment; independent observers assessed teachers’ classroom practices and the school physical environment. A three-level model partitioned variance to the individual, classroom, and school levels. The variance in students’ climate perceptions was primarily between students, with most classroom and school intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranging from 0.01 to 0.08, though one was as high as 0.20; however, observations explained large percentages of between-school variation in climate (58%–91%). Findings suggest the potential utility of outside observations for explaining school-level variation in school climate to inform decision-making and future research.     

A large scale study of the assessment of the social environment of middle and secondary schools: The validity and utility of teachers' ratings of school climate, cultural pluralism, and safety problems for understanding school effects and school improvement

Due to changes in state and federal policies, as well as logistical and fiscal limitations, researchers must increasingly rely on teachers' reports of school climate dimensions in order to investigate the developmental impact of these dimensions, and to evaluate efforts to enhance the impact of school environments on the development of young adolescents. Teachers' climate ratings exhibited a robust dimensional structure, high levels of internal consistency, and moderate levels of stability over 1-and 2-year time spans. Teachers' climate ratings were also found to be related consistently with students' ratings. In three large-scale samples of schools, teachers' climate ratings were associated significantly and consistently with students' performance on standardized tests of academic achievement, and with indexes of their academic, behavioral, and socio-emotional adjustment.     

Cultural values in the home and school experiences of low-income African-American students

The present study examined the presence of specific cultural values within the preferred classroom and home activities of African-American upper elementary students. Written scenarios were constructed and used to determine whether students preferred their home and classroom activities carried out under specific cultural terms. Students also reported their perceptions of teachers and parents’ cultural value-based preferences for classroom and home activities. With analysis of variance techniques, it was shown that students and their parents have significantly stronger preferences for communal and vervistic activities at home and at school than for individualistic and competitive activities. Perceived teacher classroom preferences, however, were significantly higher for individualistic and competitive activities. Such findings underscore the presence of cultural mismatch in the classroom experiences of African-Americans and illustrate a need to enhance school-based efforts to appreciate and utilize cultural value variation.     

Teacher’s use of praise,clarity of school rules and classroom climate: comparing classroom compositions in terms of disruptive students

Clarity of school rules and teachers’ use of praise are strategies suggested to facilitate a positive classroom climate. Studies indicate difficulties for teachers to use such approaches in classrooms with higher levels of disruption. To study (1) if student-rated clarity of school rules, use of praise, and classroom climate differ between students in classes with lower numbers of disruptive students versus classes with higher numbers, (2) if clarity of school rules and teacher’s use of praise are longitudinally associated with classroom climate, (3) if the possible longitudinal association differs between groups, classes (n = 109) in school grades 5–7 were divided into two groups, based on head teacher ratings of disruptive students in class. Baseline and 12-month follow-up responses collected within a Swedish trial were used to perform multiple regression analysis, to compare groups and to investigate possible longitudinal associations. Students in classes with less disruption rated all variables more positively. Classroom climate deteriorated over time in both groups, even if the low disruption group perceived their climate as more positive at follow up. Clarity of school rules did not substantially contribute to classroom climate longitudinally, whereas teacher’s use of praise to some extent did. The difference in longitudinal associations between groups was marginal, hence our hypothesis on weaker associations in the high disruption group could not be confirmed. Clarity of school rules is not longitudinally associated with classroom climate, but teachers may positively influence the learning environment by giving praise, regardless of level of disruption.     

Adolescents' psychological health and experiences with unwanted sexual behavior at school

This paper examines the relationship between experiences with unwanted sexual behavior at school and adolescents' health. Adolescent boys and girls (N = 2,808) participated in a 1998/1999 survey of secondary school students in two regions of The Netherlands. The psychological issues investigated included psychosomatic problems and self-esteem. It was hypothesized that adolescents who have experienced unwanted sexual behavior at school would report more psychosomatic problems and lower self-esteem. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that girls would report lower self-esteem and more psychosomatic problems than would boys. Regression analysis indicated that experiences with unwanted sexual behavior were related to adolescents' psychological health, independently of other variables.     

Teacher and Pupil Characteristics in the Perception of the Creativity of Classroom Climate

This article presents results of a study of pupils' perceptions of the level of creativity of the classroom climate. The purpose was to determine whether the teachers' classroom behaviors provided a means to identify relatively stable behavior patterns in individuals or groups of teachers categorized by subject taught and pupils' perceptions of the classroom climate. Secondly, the aim was to identify those teacher behaviors correlating with high or low level of creative classroom climate perceptions respectively. Observation was the principal method in identifying teacher behaviors related to creative classroom climate perception. Several behavioral categories were identified that correlated significantly with a high level of creativity in classroom climate perception. Furthermore it was found that some of the teachers' behaviors may be so influenced by context that they reverse the resulting effect.     

The latent four-zone structure in classroom seating space

The purpose of this study was to extract a latent space structure of classrooms from students seating preferences, and to determine whether classroom division on the basis of latent space structure is useful in predicting actual seating behaviors. The actual seating positions of 151 female junior college students were observed in classrooms once a week for one semester; then students were asked to estimate their seating preference among 49 seating positions in an imaginary classroom. Students did have different preferences for seating positions. A factor analysis suggested that classroom seating space should be divided into four zones: rear, front, center, and sides. A multiple discriminant analysis suggested that the seating positions that students actually took reflected a four-zone structure. Classroom division based on the four-zone structure proved useful in understanding students' seating behaviors.