The Perceived School Climate In Croatian Elementary Schools With Poor, Average And Good School’S Learning Environment

Abstract

The cross-sectional research designwas used to investigate differences in teachers’perception of school climate in schools withpoor, average and good school’s learning environment,and to explore to what degree is possibleto explain six school climate dimensions byschool’s learning environment, some teacher’scharacteristics and teaching practice experience.Participants in the study were 785 teachers from44 primary schools in northern part of Croatia,121 males and 579 females. Participants ratedschool climate in school where they teach andin addition provided information about variousschool’s learning environment. Schools whichteachers perceived as having good school’slearning environment clearly differ in the levelof school climate quality - school climate is significantlybetter in schools with better school’slearning environment. The performed hierarchicalregression analyses, demonstrated in addition,how school’s learning environment andcharacteristics of teachers and teaching practice(e.g. gender, age, work experience and educationlevel) are powerful predictors of (positive) schoolclimate. In this paper, we provide possible explanationand stress importance on school climateas an essential concept in school effectivenessconcerns and activities.