AD ALTA
JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
area is perceived as part of a climate by learners; Cooperation of
the school with parents – the level of cooperation influences a
school´s activities, learners have interest in the parents´ helping
the school.
In several places in the text it was indicated that the classroom
climate and teaching climate are influenced by several factors.
Summarising of the opinions of several authors (H. Grecmanová
S. Bellová 2018), Ch. Kyriacou 2012, J. Mareš 2003, J. Průcha
2003, S. Guewert, T. Whitaker, 2015 and others), the following
factors may be singled out:
Communication and teaching procedures. Undoubtedly, there is
no need to explain specifically that in the classroom in which the
teacher communicates with learners, so to say, “at a higher
level” – giving them adequate explanations, willing to listen to
them, to discuss with them, objectively evaluating them, etc. –
reigns a pleasant and amicable climate. Learners respect their
teacher, one another, etc. This climate is called supportive
(responsive, supportive) communication climate – characteristic
for a kind of learners´ mutual openness. True, one can notice
also opposite approach in the classroom, when the teacher is not
communicative enough, when learners do not listen to the
teacher, do not communicate with one another, are closed to one
another, not expressing their feelings, etc. This climate is called
defensive communication climate.
It is also important for a school´s culture what attention it pays to
social aspects of its life. This includes especially the following:
Task needs of the social system:
comprehensibility,
practicability, adequacy...); efficient communication (non-
distorted information, providing fast information about
problems, availability of information); optimum distribution of
power (well-proportioned distribution of the influence of school
management on the concentration on objectives (their clarity,
staff, subordinates must feel that management is not indifferent
to them, that it is not indifferent to their opinions).
The needs related to the system maintenance: using sources
(efficient use of staff in such a way that they are not
overburdened, but, on the other hand, that they do not avoid
work either; their individual requirements must be in agreement
with the school´s requirements ...); solidarity (teachers are
influenced by the school, they are proud of it, the school attracts
them...); the employee morale (manifested in the general
satisfaction of school staff).
Growth and development needs: innovations (new procedures
and objectives emerge...); autonomy (the school is not passive in
its environment, it is not dependent only on external stimuli...);
adaptation (the school is able to change itself, adapt to the times
and new requirements, to improve and develop...); efficiency of
problem solutions (solution of problems is not postponed, they
are solved with the exertion of little energy, solution results are
strengthened) (Miles, M. B. according to Ježek, S., 2006).
It is evident of what has been said so far that climate is a
complicated structured area, a phenomenon and, at the same
time, a process. A process because, in spite of the relative
stability, the stakeholders (teacher, learners, as well as the
school´s other staff) are in continual mutual contacts influencing
their behaviour. Taking into account what has already been
mentioned, everyone must be aware of the fact that the acts of a
particular learner are not just manifestations of his/her individual
qualities. These manifestations are influenced by the climate of
the school and classroom, i.e. by the social environment in
which learners live, which influences them and to which they,
more or less, get adapted. Social environment has different
influence on different learners. One learner may get more
adapted, another one less. They are also the learners who resist
climate. There is no doubt that the classroom´s climate may
stimulate learners to positive acts – a learner may want to prove
that he/she is different than the classroom. For example, a
classroom “in which it is modern not to study or to achieve just
average results” may encourage a learner (or a group of learners)
to be “different than the class”. Naturally, the opposite holds true
as well, i.e. the climate in the class may encourage a learner´s
negative acts. The influence of the climate on a learner may in
this case be compared to, for example, the learner´s assessment.
Every teacher must have come across the fact that students
respond differently to their assessment. There are learners who
feel that they have been wronged (thinking that the teacher did
not assess them correctly or objectively), but are provoked by
this to further work and effort to prove that they are different
than their assessment by the teacher. However, there are also
learners who in such case give up, and often neither their parents
nor teachers or classmates can evoke in them further interest in
the study.
The social climate has a significant influence on learners. This
fact is often not sufficiently taken into account, though it is
acknowledged. Teachers and parents quite often produce the
following statement about learners: “It is a pity that he/she got
into such class.” or vice versa: “We were lucky that he/she got
into such good class.”
“Social climate of the classroom refers to social-psychological
phenomena (interaction, communication, their subjective and
shared perception and evaluation) long typical for a given
classroom and teacher, even after several months or years. It is
created by: learners, groups of learners, individual learners,
teachers teaching in a given class and teachers as individuals.
However, the classroom´s social climate is influenced by the
school´s climate as well as social climate of teaching staff.”
(Mareš, J., 2005)
Because of the existence of different levels and types of schools,
learners and teachers, it is possible to distinguish different types
of social climate as well:
According to the level of school – climate in the nursery school,
in the classroom on the first level of primary school ... up to the
climate in a study group at a higher education institution.
According to the type of school – climate in the classroom of
primary school, in the classroom of secondary school, secondary
vocational school.
According to the prevailing type of teaching – climate in the
classroom with the so-called classical teaching, classroom with
humanistic and alternative teaching.
According to the specificity of learners – climate of the
classroom with the prevalence of good learners, climate of the
classroom with the prevalence of the so-called weaker learners,
climate of the classroom integrating learners with various
learning disorders.
According to the specificity of teachers – climate of the
classroom with a novice teacher, with an experienced teacher,
climate of the classroom in which the teacher prefers innovative
teaching, the classroom in which the teacher pays attention
especially to learners´ knowledge, etc.
According to the nature of subjects – there is a difference
between climate at, for example, a physical education lesson and
a mathematics lesson
According to the teaching environment – climate in the classical
classroom, climate in the laboratory, during a school trip or
excursion, and so on.
According to the type of communication with learners – climate
of the classroom during direct communication with the teacher
(it can be motivating demotivating – depending, first of all, on
the teacher), during the use of multimedia technology
(videoconferences, chatting, etc.).
Before the conclusion it is necessary to note that because mainly
the didactic aspects of the school´s culture were discussed above,
it is necessary to provide also some wider aspects contributing to
the improvement of the school´s culture. They include the
following.
- 230 -