School Climate – A Quantitative Study of Middle School Students in Vietnam

This study aimed to understand the general perception of the term ‘school climate’ as well as its specific dimensions using Randolph, Kangas & Ruokamo’s (2009) model as its theoretical basis. The NJSCS-MSHS scale (New Jersey School Climate Survey Middle – High School Students in 2014) was employed by this study to accomplish an evaluation by a sample of 535 middle school students in Hanoi, Vietnam. The participants, 50.6% of whom were boys with girls accounting for 49.4%, were aged between 12 and 14 years.

The descriptive analyses conducted proved that the main dimensions that determine school climate, social relationships, physical environments, and emotional atmosphere are three aspects that do not evoke satisfaction among students. Relationships between students were also found to exert an impact on academic performance and the practices adopted by the teacher extended both physical and emotional effects. The principles of the school community with regard to safety were also influential to the adjudication of the school climate. In summary, the satisfaction or happiness with the school environment was not subject to the domination of the quality of school friendships or to the issue of school safety; the school climate was found to be especially and intimately related to the teaching and learning activities and practices that prevailed in the school.