Adapting School Culture to Meet Students Needs

Students’ NeedsTheoretical Perspective

School Environment

School Climate and Growth Mindset: Yu, J., Kreijkes, P., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2022). Students’ growth mindset: Relation to teacher beliefs, teaching practices, and school climate. Learning and Instruction, 80, 101616.

Melesse, S., & Molla, S. (2018). The contribution of school culture to students' academic achievement: The case of secondary and preparatory schools of Assosa zone, Benshangul Gumuz regional state, Ethiopia. Istraživanja u pedagogiji, 8(2), 190-203.

Lacks, P., & Watson, S. B. (2018). The relationship between school climate and teacher self-efficacy in a rural Virginia school system. School Leadership Review, 13(1), 5.

Bayar, A., & Karaduman, H. A. (2021). The Effects of School Culture on Students Academic Achievements. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 9(3), 99-109.

Molinari, L., & Grazia, V. (2022). A multi-informant study of school climate: student, parent, and teacher perceptions. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 1-21.

Molinari, L., & Grazia, V. (2023). Students’ school climate perceptions: Do engagement and burnout matter?. Learning Environments Research, 26(1), 1-18.

Theoretical Perspective: Maslow’s Theory of the Hierarchy of Needs:

Bodeliwala, A. Y., & Piliyesi, E. (2020). The Role of a Class Teacher in Implementing Maslow’s

Hierarchy of Needs Motivational Theory on Students Academic Performance and its Positive Outcomes on Standard 1-4 Students in Aljamea-Tus-Saifiyah, Nairobi, Kenya. IOSR Journal of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) 25(12), 31-39.

Classroom Learning Environment:

Sasson, I., & Yehuda, I. (2022). Redesigning the learning environment: student motivation and personal responsibility for learning. Current Psychology, 1-12.

Setyaningsih, A., Kholik, N., Azis, A. A., Yusnanto, T., & Sadikin, A. (2023). The Effect Of Learning Environment And Students Independent Learning On Students Learning Outcomes. Mudir: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan, 5(1), 142-147.

Attai, S. L., Reyes, J. C., Davis, J. L., York, J., Ranney, K., & Hyde, T. W. (2021). Investigating the impact of flexible furniture in the elementary classroom. Learning Environments Research, 24, 153-167.

Author(s) & Year

Topic

Purpose of the Study

Design and Approach

Summary of Results

Yu, Kreijkes, & Salmela-Aro (2022)

School Climate and Growth Mindset

To examine the relationship between students’ growth mindset, teacher beliefs, teaching practices, and school climate

Cross-sectional survey design

Growth mindset was positively associated with teacher beliefs, teaching practices, and a supportive school climate

Melesse & Molla (2018)

School Climate

To explore the contribution of school culture to students' academic achievement

Quantitative survey research

A positive school culture significantly contributes to students' academic achievement

Lacks & Watson (2018)

School Climate

To investigate the relationship between school climate and teacher self-efficacy

Correlational research design

Positive school climate was associated with higher levels of teacher self-efficacy

Bayar & Karaduman (2021)

School Climate

To assess the effects of school culture on students' academic achievements

Correlational research design

School culture has a positive effect on students' academic achievements

Molinari & Grazia (2022)

School Climate

To understand the multi-informant perception of school climate

Mixed-method research design

Different stakeholders (students, parents, teachers) perceived school climate differently

Molinari & Grazia (2023)

School Climate

To investigate how students’ school climate perceptions affect their engagement and burnout

Quantitative survey research

Negative perceptions of school climate were related to higher student burnout and lower engagement

Bodeliwala & Piliyesi (2020)

Maslow’s Theory of the Hierarchy of Needs

To understand the role of a class teacher in implementing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Motivational Theory on students' academic performance

Qualitative case study

Implementation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory by the teacher had a positive impact on students' academic performance

Sasson & Yehuda (2022)

Classroom Learning Environment

To evaluate the effects of redesigning the learning environment on student motivation and personal responsibility for learning

Mixed-method research design

Redesigning the learning environment enhanced students' motivation and personal responsibility for learning

Setyaningsih et al. (2023)

Classroom Learning Environment

To analyze the effect of learning environment and independent learning on students learning outcomes

Quantitative research

Positive learning environment and independent learning were significant predictors of students learning outcomes

Attai et al. (2021)

Classroom Learning Environment

To investigate the impact of flexible furniture in the elementary classroom

Mixed-method research design

Flexible furniture had a positive impact on the learning environment, increasing student engagement and collaboration

Review

Theoretical Perspective

The problem of declining 3rd-5th grade students' reading scores in relation to perceived school climate and classroom environment is grounded in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory. This theory was originally developed by Abraham Maslow in 1943 and has been widely used in studies focusing on motivation, self-actualization, and personal development, including those in educational settings (Bodeliwala & Piliyesi, 2020).

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs proposes that individuals have a series of needs that they strive to meet, ranging from basic physiological needs to self-actualization, the pursuit of personal growth and fulfillment. These needs are often depicted as a pyramid, with physiological needs at the bottom and self-actualization at the top. The needs lower in the hierarchy must be fulfilled before individuals can attend to needs higher up.

In the context of education, Maslow's theory suggests that students' basic needs, such as safety and belongingness (which could be linked to school climate and classroom environment), need to be met before they can fully engage in learning and strive for academic achievement. For instance, if students do not feel safe and secure within their school or classroom environment, their ability to focus on learning and achieving their academic potential may be hindered.

Therefore, examining the potential link between school climate, classroom environment, and students' reading abilities through the lens of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs could provide valuable insights. This perspective suggests that creating positive and supportive school and classroom environments could help meet students' lower-level needs, thereby freeing up cognitive and emotional resources for academic engagement and achievement. Such a theoretical perspective provides a solid foundation for further research into the interplay of school climate, classroom environment, and student academic outcomes.

School Climate

The study by Yu, Kreijkes, & Salmela-Aro (2022) primarily aimed to investigate the connection between students' growth mindset and school climate, further examining teacher beliefs and teaching practices. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, making use of standardized questionnaires for students and teachers. Their results highlighted a positive association between a growth mindset and a supportive school climate, bolstered by teacher beliefs and practices.

Subsequently, Melesse & Molla's (2018) study concentrated on the impact of school culture on students' academic achievement. Utilizing quantitative survey research, they collected data from students to gauge the influence of school culture. Their findings showed a significant contribution of a positive school culture to academic achievement.

In the same vein, Lacks & Watson (2018) aimed to explore the relationship between school climate and teacher self-efficacy in a rural Virginia school system. With a correlational research design, they discovered a positive association between a supportive school climate and higher levels of teacher self-efficacy. This further strengthens the perspective that the school environment plays a critical role in staff efficacy and, potentially, student outcomes.

In addition, the study by Bayar & Karaduman (2021) carried forward the same theme, investigating the effects of school culture on students' academic achievements. Using a correlational research design, they found that school culture positively impacts students' academic achievements. Molinari & Grazia (2022; 2023) extended this topic by considering multiple stakeholders in assessing school climate. In their first study (2022), they used a mixed-method research design to show that students, parents, and teachers perceive school climate differently. They then followed up in 2023 to show that negative perceptions of the school climate are related to higher student burnout and lower engagement.

Theoretical Perspective: Maslow’s Theory of the Hierarchy of Needs

Bodeliwala & Piliyesi (2020) sought to understand the influence of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Motivational Theory on students' academic performance. They conducted a qualitative case study focusing on the class teacher's role. Their research showed that the practical implementation of Maslow’s theory by the teacher positively impacted students' academic performance.

Classroom Learning Environment

Switching focus to the classroom learning environment, Sasson & Yehuda (2022) explored the effects of redesigning the learning environment on student motivation and personal responsibility for learning. They employed a mixed-method research design and found that redesigning the learning environment enhanced students' motivation and personal responsibility for learning.

Likewise, Setyaningsih et al. (2023) aimed to examine the effects of the learning environment and independent learning on students' learning outcomes. Using a quantitative research approach, they demonstrated that a positive learning environment and independent learning were significant predictors of students' learning outcomes.

Finally, Attai et al. (2021) investigated the impact of flexible furniture in the elementary classroom. Through a mixed-method research design, they found that flexible furniture positively impacted the learning environment, increasing student engagement and collaboration.

In conclusion, the literature review reinforces the importance of a positive school and classroom environment for student academic achievement and engagement. It further accentuates the role of teachers in implementing theories like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for enhanced academic performance. The majority of these studies employed quantitative or mixed-methods designs, suggesting that a similar approach may be appropriate for future research in this area. However, the inclusion of qualitative insights may enrich the understanding of the intricate dynamics of the school and classroom environments. These findings set the stage for presenting the purpose statement and research questions, focusing on the correlation between school climate and students’ reading abilities, as framed within Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.