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Influence of Classroom and School Climate on Teacher Perceptions of Student Problem Behavior

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Abstract

Reducing student problem behavior remains a leading concern for school staff, as disruptive and aggressive behavior interferes with student achievement and the school climate. However, the multisystemic nature of schools makes it difficult for researchers and practitioners to identify factors influencing to students’ behavior. The current study examined student problem behavior through an ecological lens by taking into account individual (e.g., gender, ethnicity, prosocial behavior), classroom (e.g., class size, average classroom behavior), and school-level factors (e.g., location, school climate). Using data from 37 elementary schools, 467 classrooms, and 8,750 students, a series of hierarchical linear models were tested. Multilevel analyses revealed that while individual student characteristics had the largest influence on problem behavior, average prosocial behavior and concentration problems of students within the classroom, as well as teacher perceptions of the school climate significantly related to how students behaved. These findings support the use of classroom-based intervention programs to reduce student problem behavior.

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Acknowledgments

The research reported here was supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH67948-1A1; PI: Leaf) and the Institute of Education Sciences (R305A090307; PI: Bradshaw). Additional support for the writing of this article comes from the National Institute of Mental Health Children’s Mental Health Services Training Program (T32 MH019545-21; PI: Leaf). The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of NIMH or IES. The authors thank Dr. Shane Jimerson and Dr. Russell Rumbeger for their support of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House, 8th Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Lindsey M. O’Brennan & Catherine P. Bradshaw

  2. Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology, Gevirtz Graduate School Education, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA

    Michael J. Furlong

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  1. Lindsey M. O’Brennan
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  2. Catherine P. Bradshaw
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  3. Michael J. Furlong
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Correspondence to Lindsey M. O’Brennan.

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O’Brennan, L.M., Bradshaw, C.P. & Furlong, M.J. Influence of Classroom and School Climate on Teacher Perceptions of Student Problem Behavior. School Mental Health 6, 125–136 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-014-9118-8

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