Relations Between Cultural and Linguistic Diversity, Classroom Climate, and Reading Comprehension in Norwegian Elementary Classrooms (Poster 12)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Six
  In Poster Session: Literacy Poster Session One

Abstract

The present study investigated relations between cultural and linguistic diversity (CLD), classroom climate, and the reading comprehension of 2880 Norwegian 2nd graders whose backgrounds represented 95 countries. Measuring CLD using a statistic derived from parents' country of birth, we ran a series of multilevel multigroup structural equation models. Our analyses revealed that higher levels of CLD in the classroom were related to more negative reports of classroom climate by students. Conversely, higher levels of CLD in the classroom were associated with higher levels of class average reading achievement. However, subgroup analyses revealed this relationship to only occur in the subgroup of learners with two parents born in Norway. For the subgroup of students with non-Norwegian origins, this relationship was negative, though insignificant. Rather, we found class socioeconomic status explained the variance in reading comprehension of the culturally and linguistically diverse subgroup across classrooms. The differences between subgroups revealed in this study has important implications for how students are assigned to classrooms. Furthermore, further investigations are warranted to assess how teacher quality may mitigate the negative relationship between class cultural and linguistic diversity and classroom climate found here.

Authors

• Jacqueline M. Peterson, University of Stavanger
  Presenting Author

• Njål Foldnes, University of Stavanger
  Non-Presenting Author

• Maria Therese Jensen, University of Stavanger
  Non-Presenting Author