School Environment: Assessing the Perceptions of Parents and Caregivers

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: Discussions Around Learning Environment Research

Abstract

Research and practice has confirmed the important role that parents/caregivers play in influencing students’ outcomes. This paper reports the development and validation of a survey designed to gain feedback from parents/caregivers with respect to the socioemotional school environment. The PaCS was administered to 1276 parents and caregivers of students at 23 Australian schools. Analysis of the data was used to examine the reliability and validity of the PaCS in terms of its factor structure and internal consistency as well as its discriminant, concurrent and validity and predictive validity. The findings in the paper are significant as the information helps the school to construct a comprehensive picture of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement.

Authors

• Jill M. Aldridge, Curtin University

• Katrina McChesney, University of Waikato