Social Support and School Climate as Predictors of School Connectedness in High School Students

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the extent to which perceived social support score and school climate score in high school students predicted the school connectedness score. The study was carried out with a total of 796 students including 421 (52.9%) girls and 375 (47.1%) boys attending different grades in 10 different secondary schools. Data collection tools included, the Perceived School Experiences Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale, and the School Climate Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, Multiple Linear Regression, independent groups t-test, One-way ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis H Test. According to the results of the study, all of the variables were found to be significantly correlated with each other. The results of the regression analysis indicated that school climate and family, friends, and teachers variables, which are the sub-dimensions of social support, explained 42.7% of the total variance of school connectedness. As a result of the difference analysis, the school connectedness score was determined to not differ significantly by gender, while it yielded a significant difference by grade level. Also, the school connectedness scores of the students indicated a significant difference by school type and reasons for selecting the school.