Identification of Important Factors When Measuring School Climate: Latent Construct Validation and Exploration

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Researchers regularly must decide what information is necessary to understand school climate and how to include climate in a study. For example, which factors and/or scales should be used, is using just 1 scale for school climate sufficient, and to what extent does the selection of a single scale influence the research findings? AIMS: Understanding what factors to consider and which available scales to review will assist those interested in measuring school climate. METHODS: This study explores 8 validated scales related to school climate. Data used are from a previous study (Social and Character Development cooperative agreement funded by IES #R305L030072 and #R305A080253) that looked at Positive Action, a social emotional and character development program for elementary-, middle-, and high-school students. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Scale correlations and factor analyses show how these scales work together to measure overall middle school climate.