Measures of School Climate: Needed Improvements Suggested by a Review of the Organizational Literature.

Researchers who use the concept of school climate in their research should be aware of the ways in which climate can be measured and what the different methods of measurement imply. Among the typical kinds of measures of school climate currently in use are normative approaches that focus on students' and teachers' perceptions of school norms, ecological approaches that focus on classroom behavior as perceived by participants, and external observation methods that bring in outside observers to collect quantitative or qualitative data. The literature on organizational climate suggests additional factors to consider when selecting measurement techniques or analyzing the findings of research. First, conceptual distinctions have been found between organizational climate, group climate, and psychological climate. Second, quesitons exist concerning whether several climates may exist in an organization if the members of the organization are not in agreement in their perceptions. Third, the various methods for measuring climate may not share the same level of validity. Fourth, the effects of environmental change on perceptions are unclear. Fifth, differences among individuals may account for some variations in perception of climate. Specific research efforts are cited as typical examples of the different measurement methods discussed. (PGD)