Abstract
This study examined the relationships between students’ perceptions of teacher support, the social classroom environment, school loneliness, and possible gender differences among 2099 first year upper secondary school students in Norway. Data were collected in the fall (t1) and spring (t2) of the school year. Results from structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses showed that perceived emotional and instrumental teacher support were directly related to students’ perceptions of the social classroom environment, and indirectly to student loneliness through the social classroom environment. While for boys, both types of teacher support were significantly related to these variables, only emotional teacher support was of significance to girls. The strongest contributing factor to students’ school loneliness was their perceptions of the social classroom environment. Some implications of this study are that a positive social classroom environment is an important safeguard against student loneliness, and that teachers can aid in preventing loneliness among students through facilitating a positive social environment in the class.
Highlights
Experiencing positive interpersonal relationships is crucial to individual’s development and wellbeing as it contributes to a sense of belonging
All the same it is unclear in what ways other classroom factors, such as teacher support and the social environment in the classroom, influence on students’ feelings of school loneliness, and whether these associations are dependent of gender
Youth spend a great amount of time with peers and teachers in the school context, and the results from this study strongly indicate that a secure social environment is favourable to students’ psychosocial functioning
Summary
Experiencing positive interpersonal relationships is crucial to individual’s development and wellbeing as it contributes to a sense of belonging. Experiencing a lack of such relationships can lead to a sense of deprivation, which can manifest itself in feelings of loneliness (Baumeister and Leary 1995; Heinrich and Gullone 2006). Heinrich and Gullone 2006) All the same it is unclear in what ways other classroom factors, such as teacher support and the social environment in the classroom, influence on students’ feelings of school loneliness, and whether these associations are dependent of gender. This study sought to investigate the relations between students’ perceptions of social support from teachers, their experiences of the social classroom environment, and loneliness among a sample of first year upper secondary school students in Norway. A clarification of these relationships can help identify protective factors within the school context, which can be of considerable utility for teachers and others who work with adolescents in the school setting
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