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A study of the relationships between school social climate and the academic achievement and self-concept of a sample of primary pupils
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Type
Thesis
Author
Ng, Gek Tiang
Supervisor
Ho, Wah Kam
Tan, Wee Kiat
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between school social climate as perceived by the pupils and two outcome variables, namely, academic achievement and self-concept of academic ability. The major study School Social Systems and Student Achievement : Schools Can Make a Difference by Brookover et al. (1979) provided the basis for this study.
A modified version of the Brookover Pupil Questionnaire was administered to 1177 pupils in eight primary schools in Singapore. Academic achievement was measured by the pupils' performance in three subjects in the national Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). Self-concept of the pupils was measured by the Brookover Self-Concept of Academic Ability Scale.
The statistical procedures used in this study included the computation of the means, standard deviations, correlations as well as multiple regressions. Analysis of the data showed that school social climate as measured by the five climate variables, namely, Sense of Academic Futility, Perceived Future Evaluations and Expectations, Perception of Teacher Push and Teacher Norms, and Pupil Academic Norms, contributed in varying degrees to academic achievement in this sample, ranging from 15 per cent to 42 per cent. Findings also revealed that in five of the eight schools, the variance in achievement between schools in the sample was attributable to the climate variables, after controlling for socio-economic status variables.
The relationship between the pupils' self-concept of academic ability and academic achievement in the study was positive and significant, which was consistent with most research on academic self-concept. There was also a positive and relatively high correlation of +0.60 between school social climate and self-concept of ability.
A few conclusions and implications may be drawn from the findings of this research. First, this study was able to distinguish between high-achieving and low-achieving schools. This implies that there were different school climates for different schools.
The finding that school social climate was a more important correlate of pupil achievement in five of the eight samples schools emphasised the important role schools can play, especially for pupils who do not have favourable home support.
The finding related to the second outcome variable, self-concept, suggests that a positive self-concept of academic ability seemed important for educational achievement. This conclusion implies that schools can do much to improve the self-concept of pupils which may lead to improved academic performance.
This study which was intended as an exploratory study in the area of the social-psychological learning environment has to some extent established that there are some relationships between school social climate and academic achievement and academic self-concept.
A modified version of the Brookover Pupil Questionnaire was administered to 1177 pupils in eight primary schools in Singapore. Academic achievement was measured by the pupils' performance in three subjects in the national Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). Self-concept of the pupils was measured by the Brookover Self-Concept of Academic Ability Scale.
The statistical procedures used in this study included the computation of the means, standard deviations, correlations as well as multiple regressions. Analysis of the data showed that school social climate as measured by the five climate variables, namely, Sense of Academic Futility, Perceived Future Evaluations and Expectations, Perception of Teacher Push and Teacher Norms, and Pupil Academic Norms, contributed in varying degrees to academic achievement in this sample, ranging from 15 per cent to 42 per cent. Findings also revealed that in five of the eight schools, the variance in achievement between schools in the sample was attributable to the climate variables, after controlling for socio-economic status variables.
The relationship between the pupils' self-concept of academic ability and academic achievement in the study was positive and significant, which was consistent with most research on academic self-concept. There was also a positive and relatively high correlation of +0.60 between school social climate and self-concept of ability.
A few conclusions and implications may be drawn from the findings of this research. First, this study was able to distinguish between high-achieving and low-achieving schools. This implies that there were different school climates for different schools.
The finding that school social climate was a more important correlate of pupil achievement in five of the eight samples schools emphasised the important role schools can play, especially for pupils who do not have favourable home support.
The finding related to the second outcome variable, self-concept, suggests that a positive self-concept of academic ability seemed important for educational achievement. This conclusion implies that schools can do much to improve the self-concept of pupils which may lead to improved academic performance.
This study which was intended as an exploratory study in the area of the social-psychological learning environment has to some extent established that there are some relationships between school social climate and academic achievement and academic self-concept.
Date Issued
1985
Call Number
LC210.8.S5 Ng
Date Submitted
1985