Relationships among school climate, school safety, and student achievement and well‐being: a review of the literature

Abstract

School climate, safety and well-being of students are important antecedents of academic achievement. However, school members do not necessarily experience school climate in the same way; rather, their subjective perceptions of the environment and personal characteristics influence individual outcomes and behaviours. Therefore, a closer look at the relationship between school climate, safety, well-being of students and student learning is needed. This review of the literature explores the relationship among school climate, school safety, student academic achievement and student well-being. Using a systematic review approach, we conducted an overview of empirically based research findings and technical reports that address the following aspects: (a) school climate as a social construct and its connection with school safety; (b) the conditions that contribute to an environment in which students feel safe; (c) the characteristics of particular groups of students who feel unsafe; and (d) the impact of a negative school environment (e.g. a school environment where bullying, victimisation and violence are prevalent) on student achievement, ultimately, secondary school completion and student well-being. We summarise the state of school climate research, discuss the implications for school policies and practices in the areas of school climate, safety and student success, and provide recommendations for future research.

The Role of School Climate in Explaining Changes in Social Trust Over Time

“…In this paper, we look at a specific aspect of safety -namely, the extent to which individuals experience verbal and physical bullying and victimization (cf. Kutsyuruba, Klinger, & Hussain, 2015;Thapa et al, 2013).…”

School Environments and Elementary School Children’s Well-Being in Northwestern Mexico

“…Our research was presented with the chance to provide additional empirical evidence to the conclusions of the work of Kutsyuruba et al (2015), who determined integrative categories associated with studies on school climate and proposed a three-dimensional model: physical, academic, and social. Other studies have offered a conceptual framework derived from a multidimensional construction of components and conditions of a positive school environment (Wang and Degol, 2016).…”

“…Nowadays, it has become more common to find empirical studies that identify the impact of school environments on student well-being. For example, safe school environments and student well-being have been found to be significantly and strongly interrelated variables on research of various kinds of students' needs (Kutsyuruba et al, 2015).…”

“…Particularly, as a basis for this study, we reference the contributions of Kutsyuruba et al (2015) which, as a result from an exhaustive review of published empirical evidence, conclude in a common axis categorization of the school environment named "dimensions of the school climate" that consists of three main categories: (a) physical, refers to the condition of school facilities, the environmental quality of schools, and their relationship with the educational performance and behavior of students; (b) academic, where it is mentioned that the personal skills and characteristics of teachers serve as factors for the development of their students; and finally, (c) social, this specific category suggests that the quality of relationships between members of the school community is fundamental in the configuration of the school climate. These categories shape a conceptual framework that can be regarded as a multidimensional construction of the components and conditions of a positive or safe school environment (Kutsyuruba et al, 2015).…”

“…To carry out this research, a total of 405 students from four public elementary schools in northwestern Mexico were selected to participate. The instrument used to measure the variables and the relationship of school environment and well-being is based on the three dimensions of school environment proposed by Kutsyuruba et al (2015): Physical, social, and academic. Statistical analyses were carried out to determine the reliability and validity of the measurement scales using SPSS V20 and EQS software.…”