The Clinical Validity of the Classroom Climate Inventory: The infuluence of students’ mental health on the classroom climate

Abstract

This longitudinal case study investigates the 2 classrooms’ climates and the influence of students’ mental health on the climates in order to examine the clinical validity of the CCI (Classroom Climate Inventory) in a junior high school. First, the following mental health questionnaires were conducted in March before the classes were organized: (1) Scale on the school morale, (2) Scale on the general self-worth, and (3) Scale on the stress symptoms. Second, the CCI was administered in May and February which is the beginning and the end of the school year. In one class, the students’ mental health, especially girls, was good and the climates in May and February were both friendly. In addition, there was high involvement in class activities. The Inventories indicate that this climate was initiated by the attitudes the girls in the class brought with them. In another class, the students’ school morale, especially boys, was low and the girls’ stress was high. The climate of this class was characterized strangeness between students and there was low involvement in class activities throughout the year. It was concluded that concern for the students’ mental health was necessary to organize a good climate for the class and the CCI was useful to effective assessment in the classroom.