Classroom Social Dynamics and Supportive Learning Environment in Public Elementary Schools

Abstract

Public elementary schools are currently dealing with variety of classroom concerns such as pupils’ academic difficulties, behavioral issues, social problems, and emotional difficulties. These can be resolved by providing an environment supportive to learning in classroom social dynamics. These dynamics pertain to how students, teachers, and the learning environment interact and relate to one another. These may be affected by teachers' influence and social influence. A descriptive-correlational type of research was used in this study to describe the relationship of supportive learning environment and classroom social dynamics as to teachers’ influence and social influence with 115 Grade Six pupil-respondents in five public elementary schools in San Antonio District in academic year 2022-2023. The research made-survey questionnaire was used for gathering data with some concepts adapted and modified. Pearson-Product-Moment-Correlation-Coefficient revealed that social influence in terms of conformity, expectation, compliance and obedience is significantly related to supportive learning environment as to pupils’ academic performance, engagement, self-regulation and self-resiliency. Likewise, teachers’ influence in terms of referent, expert and reward were also found significantly related to supportive learning environment. However, teachers’ legitimate influence was found to be significantly related to pupils’ engagement and self-regulation only, while teachers’ coercive influence was found out to have no relationship with a supportive learning environment.