ERIC Number: EJ867968
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-308X
EISSN: N/A
Seeking the Sense of Community: A Comparison of Two Elementary Schools' Ethical Climates
Keiser, Kay A.; Schulte, Laura E.
School Community Journal, v19 n2 p45-58 2009
School climate is created through the combined culture of the adults and students within a school--both the culture they share as an organization and the diverse cultures they bring from home. This study compared the school climate of two elementary schools, one urban and one suburban, by measuring 179 fourth and fifth grade students' and 65 teachers' perceptions of their schools' ethical climates. The Elementary School Ethical Climate Index (ESECI) was utilized to factor perceptions into "teacher to student", "student to teacher/learning environment", and "student to student" interactions. For each of the ESECI subscales, two-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted with a respondent factor (student or teacher/staff) and a community type factor (urban or suburban). While both the urban and suburban schools reported positive perceptions of school culture by students and teachers, the urban teachers were significantly less positive than their suburban peers in "student to teacher/learning environment" and "student to student" interactions, and also significantly less positive than their urban students. Results emphasize the importance of evaluating the culture of the school in an intentional, thorough manner by asking all groups for perceptions of school climate and utilizing what is uncovered to strengthen the sense of community. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Urban Schools, Suburban Schools, Urban Teaching, Elementary Schools, Student Attitudes, School Culture, Grade 4, Grade 5, Educational Environment, Ethics, Comparative Analysis, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Student Relationship, Statistical Analysis, Peer Relationship
Academic Development Institute. 121 North Kickapoo Street, Lincoln, IL 62656. Tel: 217-732-6462; Fax: 217-732-3696; Web site: http://www.adi.org/journal
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4; Grade 5
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A