TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluating the Classroom Environment
T2 - Multilevel Validation and Measurement Invariance of Classroom Behavioral Climate
AU - Michael, Demos
AU - Tsigilis, Nikolaos
AU - Michaelidou, Victoria
AU - Gregoriadis, Athanasios
AU - Charalambous, Vicky
AU - Vrasidas, Charalambos
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/8
Y1 - 2024/8
N2 - The present study contributes to the development of effective measures to evaluate classroom climate, especially in elementary education where these remain limited. In addition, it addresses a typical “flaw” of several studies by approaching classroom climate as a group-level construct rather than an individual characteristic. Following a multilevel approach, we attempted to establish validity evidence for an adapted version of the Classroom Behavioral Climate (CBC) questionnaire and examine its equivalence across two contexts. The participants included 2963 students from 176 fourth and fifth grade classes. Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analyses resulted in a shorter version of the CBC with three correlated factors in both countries. Two-level models performed better than the single-level models. Configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance was also achieved. The study highlights the need for researchers and practitioners to use appropriate methods and instruments to evaluate the classroom environment based on their research aims and intended use.
AB - The present study contributes to the development of effective measures to evaluate classroom climate, especially in elementary education where these remain limited. In addition, it addresses a typical “flaw” of several studies by approaching classroom climate as a group-level construct rather than an individual characteristic. Following a multilevel approach, we attempted to establish validity evidence for an adapted version of the Classroom Behavioral Climate (CBC) questionnaire and examine its equivalence across two contexts. The participants included 2963 students from 176 fourth and fifth grade classes. Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analyses resulted in a shorter version of the CBC with three correlated factors in both countries. Two-level models performed better than the single-level models. Configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance was also achieved. The study highlights the need for researchers and practitioners to use appropriate methods and instruments to evaluate the classroom environment based on their research aims and intended use.
KW - classroom behavioral climate
KW - classroom environment
KW - measurement invariance
KW - multigroup multilevel confirmatory factor analysis
KW - multilevel validation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189017977&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/07342829241242350
DO - 10.1177/07342829241242350
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85189017977
SN - 0734-2829
VL - 42
SP - 512
EP - 526
JO - Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment
JF - Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment
IS - 5
ER -