The influence of a teacher training program on student perception of classroom climate

Abstract

Many studies of classroom climate demonstrate effects on student learning outcomes. In this study the effect of a short in-service teacher training program on pupil perceptions of the classroom climate is investigated. Two conditions are compared: in the first condition the teachers participated in the training program at the beginning of the school year; in the second condition the teachers participated in January. It appeared from the results that pupils did not perceive a difference between teachers in the first condition and teachers in the second, with respect to the topics which were the focus of training (classroom management and instruction). However, a difference in the perception of the teacher/pupil relationships was found in favor of the teachers in the first condition.