Classroom Climate, Teacher Support and Self-Agency: Perceptions of Students with and without Disabilities

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigated perceptions of classroom climate, the physical environment, and self-agency of students with and without disabilities. Participants were 868 high school students from four mixed-sex day schools and 1 same-sex boarding school in Western Kenya. Of the 868 participants, 431 had disabilities. Participants completed a questionnaire on classroom climate and self-agency. Overall, results showed that even though students perceived their classroom climate to be high in competition and difficulty, they were satisfied with their learning environments and regarded their teachers as being supportive. Friction was low and self-agency was moderate. ANOVA results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences between those with and without disabilities ( F 1 , 862 = 0.69 , p = 0.41 ). MANOVA results for disability status was statistically significant with respect to the classroom climate subscales ( F 6 , 857 = 2.22 , p = 0.04 ). Discriminant analysis structure coefficients identified friction, competition, and cohesion as the primary drivers of this significant result. Group means reveal students identified with a disability had a higher mean for friction, and lower means for cohesion and competition. Self-agency was positively correlated with satisfaction, cohesiveness, competition, and teacher support, and negatively correlated with friction and difficulty. These findings suggest that teacher support plays a significant role in student satisfaction, cohesion, and self-agency, regardless of disability.