Classroom learning climate profiles: Combining classroom goal structure and social climate to support student school functioning and behavioral adaptation.

This study seeks to identify the configurations of classroom teaching practices, defined based on the classroom goal structures (mastery-approach, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance) and social climate (academic support, emotional support, mutual respect, and task-related interactions) to which a sample of 1,453 seventh graders (Mage = 12.71; 49.90% girls) report being exposed in their language and mathematics classes. This study also seeks to document the longitudinal associations between these profiles and various indicators of students’ school functioning (engagement, achievement) and behavioral adaptation (hyperactivity–inattention, opposition–defiance, internalizing behaviors). Latent profile analyses identified five profiles replicated among boys and girls in language and mathematics classes. However, the prevalence of these profiles differed slightly as a function of sex and subject: Low-all climate (10.01%–19.71%), High-all climate (8.65%–14.82%), Performance climate (26.70%–36.22%), Low performance climate (12.93%–24.84%), and Mastery and positive social climate (19.42%–27.61%). The Mastery and positive social climate and the Low performance climate were associated with the highest levels of school functioning and the lowest levels of behavioral adaptation problems. The Low-all climate and the performance climate were conversely associated with low levels of school functioning and high levels of behavioral adaptation problems. Overall, du...
Source: Journal of Educational Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research