Conceptualizing and Measuring Collective School Climate Constructs: The Role of Social Influence

• In Event: 33.079 - Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: 33.079-7 - Variables That Influence School Climate: Collective Trust, Inclusivity, and Critical Leadership

Abstract

This paper considers ways to enhance the precision of aggregate concepts and measures used especially in the study of schools, school leadership and school effectiveness where schools are the level of analysis. The paper produces evidence that collective trust is not merely a function of the trust experiences of individuals. Five approaches to the social measurement of collective beliefs are described, explained, and tested. Findings suggest that a “quadrant” weighting approach shows promise, meeting both criteria for adequate measurement and producing the best fit model for predicting academic performance in math and reading. However, a an argument is made for taking more seriously the importance of social identity in the construction of collective constructs.

Authors

• Patrick B. Forsyth, University of Oklahoma

• Curt M. Adams, University of Oklahoma