Impact of a Positive Classroom Climate on Sixth Graders’ Motivation to Learn Mathematics at Northern Israel’s Arab Minority Schools

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of a positive classroom climate on sixth graders’ motivation to learn mathematics in Northern Israel’s Arab minority schools. The study sample consisted of 50 students of the Sixth Grade in the primary stage in two Arab minority towns in Israel’s northern region. The central research hypothesis touched on how much the classroom climate affects students’ motivation to learn mathematics from the point of view of sixth graders in Northern Israel. The research incorporated the descriptive analytical approach that describes the phenomenon as in reality, and expresses it quantitatively and qualitatively. Based on the results of the research, the research hypothesis was realized, which indicates that a healthy, supportive, and compassionate classroom climate positively affects students’ motivation to learn mathematics. The research points to the importance of an effective classroom climate in the educational process and in students’ motivation to learn. The paper contributes to the academic community by asserting that a positive atmosphere in the classroom seems to lead to better interaction between students and a more comprehensive possibility of expression, and has the potential to reduce the level of violence between them.