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Journal of Public Health

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Open Access 01-10-2017 | Original Article

Classmate characteristics, class composition and children’s perceived classroom climate

Authors: Louise Persson, Mikael Svensson

Published in: Journal of Public Health | Issue 5/2017

Abstract

Aim

A beneficial classroom climate is vital for school achievements, health, well-being, and school satisfaction. However, there is little knowledge as to how the classmate characteristics and class composition are related to the level of a perceived messy and disorderly classroom climate and whether the estimated relationships vary between different groups of children. The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between classmate characteristics as well as class composition and children’s perceived classroom climate.

Method

Data from a cross-sectional survey administrated in 71 classes including 1,247 children in a mid-sized Swedish city were used. The analyses were conducted using multilevel models.

Results

A class with a higher proportion of girls was associated with a lower likelihood of perceiving the classroom climate as messy and disorderly. Moreover, a higher proportion of immigrant children in a class was associated with a perception of a messier and disorderly classroom climate among non-immigrant children, but not among immigrant children themselves.

Conclusion

Classmate characteristics and class composition deserve more research attention and can be important considerations when aiming to improve the classroom climate and children’s well-being in general.

In the final analyses, we dichotomized the outcome variable mainly because it simplifies the interpretation of the results. However, we also conducted analyses in the study where we used a different threshold for the dichotomization of the outcome variable as well as ordinal regressions (results available upon request), all with qualitatively similar results as reported in the study.

We also conducted analyses in this study in which we distinguished between children living with both of their parents or with both their mother and father but on alternating weeks and those living only with one parent. However, the results indicate that there were no significant differences between children living with both parents and children living with their separated mothers and fathers on alternating weeks. Hence, these two family structures are conflated in the analyses reported in the study.

The proportion of girls in a class does not vary to any significant extent beyond a 25% to 75% interval.

Given the data in this study, it would also be possible to consider a three-level mixed model where each child is clustered within classes and within schools. However, here, our analyses showed that there was no significant benefit in introducing the school-level effect once the class-level had been introduced. Hence, we stayed with the two-level model where each child is clustered within classes.

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Title: Classmate characteristics, class composition and children’s perceived classroom climate
Authors: Louise Persson
Mikael Svensson
Publication date: 01-10-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Journal of Public Health / Issue 5/2017
Print ISSN: 2198-1833
Electronic ISSN: 1613-2238
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-017-0809-0

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Springer Medicine

Classmate characteristics, class composition and children’s perceived classroom climate

Abstract

Aim

Method

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Aim

Method

Results

Conclusion

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