School Climate in General and Vet Schools in Latvia: Principals’ Perspective

Abstract

During OECD TALIS research in years 2013 and 2018 high level of school evaluation was found from principals and teachers’ viewpoint. Despite several external problems, principals and teachers found their schools as a very good working place that could be suggested to other colleagues. This opinion points to a good school climate. Such a factor leads to a good learning environment and increases the learning outcomes of students. The international survey OECD TALIS 2013 had an additional national level survey adapted for vocational education and training schools (TALIS PROF). Despite some differences in levels general and vocational schools provide, there are some issues of education management that might indicate the overall climate in schools of Latvia, including general and vocational education. As TALIS PROF was not continued in next OECD TALIS research cycle in year 2018, the additional survey for principals of vocational schools was provided in year 2022. The additional survey was adapted from the survey OECD TALIS 201, including specific vocational education targeted questions and actual education environment and climate questions from survey of OECD TALIS 2018. The aim of this research was to find school principals’ attitude to questions regarding school climate. In order to find best answers regarding the school climate, resources were analysed. Independent sample tests were provided to find out differences between groups of principals. The study compared the opinions expressed by general and vocational school principals of survey year 2013 in order to find whether there were differences between their opinions on school climate questions. To find if there were differences between opinions on school climate questions, general and vocational school principals’ views of survey year 2018 and results of the adapted survey 2022 were compared. The research found that principals of schools in survey cycles year 2013, 2018, 2022 evaluated highly the school climate. Mainly there is no crucial difference between general and vocational education principals’ opinions regarding questions on the school climate.