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English language learner perceptions of school climate and teacher–student relationships: role of acculturation and implications for achievement

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Abstract

Positive perceptions of the school social environment have been found to be associated with a host of positive outcomes. However, English language learners (ELL) might be less likely to have positive perceptions of their school environment or a strong sense of school belonging compared with their fluent English-speaking peers. The purpose of the present study was to examine predictors of 10th-grade ELL students’ perceptions of the school and students’ perceptions of their relationships with their teachers. Student characteristics such as their level of English ability and school characteristics such as the demographics of the student and teacher populations at the school, as well as policies and opportunities afforded by the environment, were also considered. ELLs had lower positive perceptions of school climate, but higher positive perceptions of teacher–student relationships than their peers. English proficiency predicted positive perceptions of school climate, but was not significantly related to teacher–student relationships. In turn, perceptions of school climate were important contributors in explaining reading scores for ELLs after taking language proficiency into account, while teacher–student relationships were a significant factor in predicting GPA. Implications are discussed.

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Notes

  1. All sample sizes rounded to the nearest 10 per restricted-use data license agreement with the National Center for Education Statistics.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the following individuals for their direct assistance or feedback on earlier iterations of this manuscript: Zach Ellison, Alsu Gilmetdinova, DeLeon Gray, Katherine Kirkpatrick, Seth Parsons, Christina Regier, and Anthony Vander Horst. We would also like to thank the following for their technical or administrative support: Beth DeWitt and Jesse Lyons at the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University, as well as Elise Christopher, Bethany Consic, Jesse Rine, John Wirt, and the staff at the National Center for Education Statistics.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Aviation, Oklahoma State University, Willard Hall 214, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

    Mike Yough

  2. Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Missouri, 306A Noyes Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Christopher D. Slaten

  3. Educational Psychology, University of North Texas, Matthews Hall 316, 1300 W. Highland St., Denton, TX, 76201, USA

    Nicole Sankofa

  4. Department of Evaluation and Measurement, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA

    Jian Li

  5. Department of Educational Studies, The Ohio State University, 121 Ramseyer Hall, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Eric M. Anderman

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Correspondence to Mike Yough.

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Appendices

Appendix

Teacher-student relationships

How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about your current school and teachers?

Students get along well with teachers.

The teaching is good.

Teachers are interested in students.

When I work hard on schoolwork, my teachers praise my effort.

In class I often feel “put down” by my teachers.

School climate

How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about your current school and teachers?

There is real school spirit.

Students make friends with students of other racial and ethnic groups.

Other students often disrupt class.

In class I often feel “put down” by other students.

I don’t feel safe at this school.

Disruptions by other students get in the way of my learning.

Misbehaving students often get away with it.

There are gangs in school.

Fights often occur between different racial/ethnic groups.

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Yough, M., Slaten, C.D., Sankofa, N. et al. English language learner perceptions of school climate and teacher–student relationships: role of acculturation and implications for achievement. Learning Environ Res 27, 143–160 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-023-09469-7

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