A tool for assessing social climate in university classrooms

Abstract

Introduction. Despite academic climate being a key aspect of teaching quality in academic institutions, few studies conducted in the university context have analyzed this construct systematically. Method. Given the absence of specific tools to apply to university, we propose the construction of a tool for assessing college students' perceptions of their class climate based on an adapted questionnaire regarding social climate in the classroom designed for secondary schools. Results. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses conducted on a sample of 330 college students from different disciplines and years resulted in a 22-item questionnaire with one second-order factor on academic climate separable into three first-order factors (the professor's performance and relationship with the students, affective atmosphere -sense of belonging- and normative behavior, and relationships between students). Discussion and Conclusion. The Classroom Social Climate Scale for Universities (CSCS-U) has adequate psychometric properties and is a good starting point from which to evaluate classroom climate in the university context.