A Meta-Analysis of the Relations Between Middle and Secondary School Learning Environments and Student Outcomes

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Abstract

Students in middle and secondary schools are frequently reported to have fewer and lower quality classroom interactions than students in earlier grades. This study utilizes a meta-analytic approach to synthesize research on classroom climate in the middle and high school grades. Classroom climate was most frequently operationalized as classroom goal structure, teacher support, and degree of cognitive rigor. Across studies, students’ perceptions of classroom mastery or “task-focused” goal structures were positively correlated with academic achievement for younger students and those of lower socioeconomic status, while perceptions of classroom extrinsic or “performance” structures were negatively correlated with academic achievement for younger students. This study has implications for the developmental literature, confirming a potential “critical period” for students entering middle school.

Author

• Rebecca Givens Rolland, Harvard University