School Climate, Achievement and Behavior in Eight Swedish Junior High Schools

Reanalysis of past research on student outcomes and adjustment illustrates that school effects do exist. One of those influential school effects is school climate. A survey of teachers and students at eight Swedish junior high schools sought to measure the effects of teaching and social climate on student achievement, behavior, and social and personal adjustment. Teachers were questioned about their teaching situations, students' environment, school leadership, and other factors. The results showed a significant correlation between school climate and both student achievement and behavior. Even if correlations existed in the study between student social background and both the climate variable and dependent variable, this was not sufficient to explain the school climate and student achievement correlations found. The results supported the position that student outcomes in schools with a good teaching and social climate are relatively better than or comparable to the student outcomes in schools with better social compositions but poorer climates. A significant correlation was not found between climate and students' norms and academic self-reliance. Teachers' and students' assessments of school climate were very similar. Appendices 1-5 include sample questionnaires. (Contains 72 references.) (JPT)