Yükseköğrenimde Akademik Aidiyetin İnşası: Okul İklimi, Okula Bağlılık, İletişim ve Öğrenme Ortamının Rolü

Year 2025, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 12 - 31, 17.10.2025

Aygün Akgül , Zeynep Eslem Doğru , Ali Gürel Göksel

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinin okul iklimi algıları ve akademik aidiyetleri arasındaki ilişkinin çeşitli değişkenler açısından incelenmesidir. Araştırma kapsamında Muğla Spor Bilimleri Fakültesinin tüm bölümlerinde aktif olarak öğrenimlerine devam eden 125’i kadın ve 177’si erkek olmak üzere toplam 302 öğrenci çalışmanın örneklemini oluşturmuştur. Çalışmaya veri toplamak amacıyla araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan “Demografik Bilgi Formu”, Terzi (2015) tarafından geliştirilen “Üniversite Öğrencilerine Yönelik Okul İklimi Ölçeği” ve Kızılkaya ve Doğan (2022) tarafından geliştirilen “Üniversite Öğrencilerine Yönelik Akademik Aidiyet Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada elde edilen verilerin demografik özelliklerini belirlemek amacıyla frekans ve yüzde analizi, ölçek puanlarının normal dağılım gösterip göstermediğini anlamak amacıyla basıklık (kurtosis) ve çarpıklık (skewness) analizi yapılmış ve devamında t-testi, ANOVA, korelasyon analizleri yapılmıştır. Verilerin istatistiksel analizlerinde ve yorumlarında, p<.05 anlamlılık düzeyi dikkate alınmıştır. Ulaşılan sonuçlara göre, okul iklimi ve akademik aidiyet arasında güçlü ve pozitif yönde bir ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir (r=0,559). Bulgular okul ikliminin akademik aidiyetin genel düzeyini ve alt boyutlarını anlamlı şekilde etkilediğini, dolayısıyla okul ikliminin iyileştirilmesinin öğrencilerin akademik aidiyet düzeylerini artırabileceğini göstermektedir. Güçlü bir okul iklimi, öğrencilerin kendilerini değerli hissetmelerine ve kendilerini okullarının bir parçası olarak görmelerini sağlayarak akademik aidiyet algılarını olumlu yönde etkileyebilir.

Keywords

Üniversite öğrencileri , Spor bilimleri , Okul iklimi , Akademik aidiyet

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışmaya ait etik kurul onayı, 30.03.2024 tarihinde Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Etik Kurulundan 240062 protokol numarası ve 59 sayılı kararla alınmıştır. Çalışmanın etik ilkelere uygun şekilde yapıldığını beyan ederiz.

Supporting Institution

Bu çalışma TÜBİTAK 2209/A Üniversite Öğrencileri Araştırma Projeleri Destekleme Programı 2023 yılı 2. Dönem kapsamında 1919B012338630 proje başvuru numarası ile desteklenmiştir.

Project Number

1919B012338630

Thanks

Desteklerinden dolayı TÜBİTAK’a teşekkür ederiz.

The Construction of Academic Engagement in Higher Education: The Role of School Climate, School Commitment, Communication and Learning Environment

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between university students' perceptions of school climate and academic engagement regarding various variables. Within the scope of the research, 302 students, 125 females and 177 males, who are actively continuing their education in all Mugla Sports Sciences Faculty departments, constituted the study sample. “Demographic Information Form” prepared by the researchers, ‘School Climate Scale for University Students’ developed by Terzi (2015), and ‘Academic Engagement Scale for University Students’ developed by Kızılkaya and Doğan (2022) were used to collect data for the study. To determine the demographic characteristics of the data obtained in the study, frequency and percentage analysis, kurtosis, and skewness analyses were performed to understand whether the scale scores were normally distributed, followed by t-test, ANOVA, and correlation analyses. In the statistical analysis and interpretations of the data, a p<.05 significance level was considered. The results show a strong and positive relationship between school climate and academic engagement (r=0.559). The findings show that school climate significantly affects the general level and sub-dimensions of academic engagement; thus, improving school climate can increase students' academic engagement levels. A strong school climate can positively affect students' perceptions of academic engagement by making them feel valued and see themselves as a part of their school.

Keywords

University students , Sports sciences , School climate , Academic engagement

Ethical Statement

The ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Social Sciences at Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University on 30.03.2024, with protocol number 240062 and decision number 59. We declare that the study was conducted in accordance with ethical principles.

Supporting Institution

This study was supported by the TÜBİTAK 2209/A University Students Research Projects Support Program, under project application number 1919B012338630, for the 2023 second term.

Project Number

1919B012338630

Thanks

We would like to express our gratitude to TÜBİTAK for their support.

References

• Akpulat, N. A., Üzümcü, T. P., & Alyakut, Ö. (2022). Unıversİty students’ perceptİons of school clİmate. Çatalhöyük International Journal of Tourism and Social Research, (8), 75-85.
• Akyürek, M. İ. (2024). Examining the relationship between school climate and happiness according to primary school students’ perceptions. Education 3-13, 52(3), 328-341. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2022.2089711
• Aldridge, J. M., Fraser, B. J., Fozdar, F., Ala’i, K., Earnest, J., & Afari, E. (2016). Students’ perceptions of school climate as determinants of wellbeing, resilience and identity. Improving Schools, 19(1), 5-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480215612616
• Allen, K. A., & Bowles, T. (2012). Belonging as a guiding principle in the education of adolescents. Australian Journal of Educational & Developmental Psychology, 12, 108-119.
• Allen, K. A., Kern, M. L., Vella-Brodrick, D., Hattie, J., & Waters, L. (2018). What schools need to know about fostering school belonging: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-016-9389-8
• Allen, K. A., Slaten, C., Hong, S., Lan, M., Craig, H., May, F., & Counted, V. (2024). Belonging in higher education: A twenty year systematic review. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 21(05). https://doi.org/10.53761/s2he6n66
• Anderman, E. M. (2002). School effects on psychological outcomes during adolescence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(4), 795. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-0663.94.4.795
• Arslan, G. (2021). School belongingness, well-being, and mental health among adolescents: Exploring the role of loneliness. Australian Journal of Psychology, 73(1), 70–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1904499
• Bahçetepe, Ü., & Giorgetti, F. M. (2015). The relation between the academic achievement and the school climate. Istanbul Journal of Innovation in Education, 1(3), 83-101.
• Bektaş, F., & Nalçacı, A. (2013). The relationship between school climate and student achievement. International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences, 4(13), 1-13.
• Brand, S., Felner, R., Shim, M., Seitsinger, A., & Dumas, T. (2003). Middle school improvement and reform: Development and validation of a school-level assessment of climate, cultural pluralism, and school safety. Journal of educational psychology, 95(3), 570. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.95.3.570
• Çelik, H., Terzi, A. R., & Gültekin, S. (2019). The relation between university students’ academic motivation and school climate. The Journal of Academic Social Science, 48(48), 422-434. https://doi.org/10.16992/ASOS.12434
• Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
• Daily, S. M., Mann, M. J., Kristjansson, A. L., Smith, M. L., & Zullig, K. J. (2019). School climate and academic achievement in middle and high school students. Journal of School Health, 89(3), 173-180. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12726
• Davis, J. R., & Warner, N. (2018). Schools matter: The positive relationship between New York City high schools’ student academic progress and school climate. Urban Education, 53(8), 959-980. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085915613544
• Debs, L., & Kota, B. R. (2021, July 26-29). Gender differences in construction management students’ sense of belonging. [Paper presentation]. ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual Conference. https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--37220
• Demiroz, S. (2020). The relationship between secondary schools students' perceptions of school climate, their school belonging and their academic achievement. Education Reform Journal, 5(2), 60-77. http://dx.doi.org/10.22596/erj2020.05.02.60.77
• Doğan, Ü., & Aslan, M. (2022). Teachers' perceptions regarding the school climate examination of the relationship between psychological well-being. Trakya Journal of Education, 12(3), 1482-1499. https://doi.org/10.24315/tred.993218
• Dönmez, Ş., & Taylı, A. (2018). The examining school climate, school engagement and quality of school life perception in middle school students. Journal of Educational Sciences, 9(2), 1-17.
• Erarslan, B. (2018). School climate perceptions of students of faculty of education [Master Thesis, Gazi University].
• Ergün, M., Akcaoğlu, M. Ö., & Ünver, N. (2018). University reputation, branding and university students' sense of belonging. D. Serkan (Ed.), Education in a changing world (pp. 473-488). Pegem Academy. https://doi.org/10.14527/9786052412480.31
• Fan, W., Williams, C. M., & Corkin, D. M. (2011). A multilevel analysis of student perceptions of school climate: The effect of social and academic risk factors. Psychology in the Schools, 48(6), 632-647. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20579
• Fatou, N., & Kubiszewski, V. (2018). Are perceived school climate dimensions predictive of students’ engagement? Social Psychology of Education, 21, 427-446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-017-9422-x
• Fredricks J. A., Filsecker M., & Lawson M. A. (2016). Student engagement, context, and adjustment: Addressing definitional, measurement, and methodological issues. Learning and Instruction, 43, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.02.002
• Freeman, T. M., Anderman, L. H., & Jensen, J. M. (2007). Sense of belonging in college freshmen at the classroom and campus levels. The Journal of Experimental Education, 75(3), 203–220. https://doi.org/10.3200/JEXE.75.3.203-220
• George, D., & Mallery, M. (2010). SPSS for windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. 17.0 update. Pearson.
• Gravetter, F. J., & Forzano, L. A. B. (2003). Research methods for the behavioral sciences. Wadsworth Publishing Company.
• Hausmann, L. R. M., Schofield, J. W., & Woods, R. L. (2007). Sense of belonging as a predictor of intentions to persist among African American and White first-year college students. Research in Higher Education, 48(7), 803–839. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-007-9052-9
• Hopson, L. M., Schiller, K. S., & Lawson, H. A. (2014). Exploring linkages between school climate, behavioral norms, social supports, and academic success. Social Work Research, 38(4), 197–209. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svu017
• Huang, H. M., Xiao, L., & Huang, D. H. (2013). Students’ ratings of school climate and school belonging for understanding their effects and relationship of junior high schools in Taiwan. Global Journal of Human Social Science Linguistics & Education, 13(3), 24-31.
• Hurtado, S., & Carter, D. F. (1997). Effects of college transition and perceptions of campus racial climate on Latino college students’ sense of belonging. Sociology of Education, 70(4), 324- 345. https://doi.org/10.2307/2673270
• Kılıç, S., & Öksüz, Y. (2020). The relationship between university students’ inferiority feeling and their general level of belonging. Ondokuz Mayis University Journal of Education Faculty, 39(2), 216-225. https://doi.org/10.7822/omuefd.804719
• Kızılkaya H., & Doğan İ., (2022). Development of academic engagement scale for university students: A validity and reliability study. Journal of Higher Education and Science, 12(1), 60-68. https://doi.org/10.5961/higheredusci.954289
• Konold, T., Cornell, D., Jia, Y., & Malone, M. (2018). School climate, student engagement, and academic achievement: A latent variable, multilevel multi-informant examination. Aera Open, 4(4), 2332858418815661. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858418815661
• Korpershoek, H., Canrinus, E. T., Fokkens-Bruinsma, M., & De Boer, H. (2020). The relationships between school belonging and students’ motivational, social-emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes in secondary education: A meta-analytic review. Research Papers in Education, 35(6), 641-680. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2019.1615116
• Koth, C. W., Bradshaw, C. P., & Leaf, P. J. (2008). A multilevel study of predictors of student perceptions of school climate: The effect of classroom-level factors. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(1), 96. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-0663.100.1.96
• Kuperminc, G. P., Leadbeater, B. J., & Blatt, S. J. (2001). School social climate and individual differences in vulnerability to psychopathology among middle school students. Journal of School Psychology, 39(2), 141-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4405(01)00059-0
• Kutsyuruba, B., Klinger, D. A., & Hussain, A. (2015). Relationships among school climate, school safety, and student achievement and well‐being: a review of the literature. Review of Education, 3(2), 103-135. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3043
• Lawson M. A., & Masyn K. E. (2015). Analyzing profiles, predictors, and consequences of student engagement dispositions. Journal of School Psychology, 53(1), 63–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2014.11.004
• Lombardi, E., Traficante, D., Bettoni, R., Offredi, I., Giorgetti, M., & Vernice, M. (2019). The impact of school climate on well-being experience and school engagement: A study with high-school students. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2482. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02482
• Loukas, A. (2007). What is school climate. Leadership Compass, 5(1), 1-3.
• Maestas, R., Vaquera, G. S., & Zehr, L. M. (2007). Factors impacting sense of belonging at a Hispanic-serving institution. Journal of Higher Education, 6(3), 237-256. https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192707302801
• Maxwell, S., Reynolds, K. J., Lee, E., Subasic, E., & Bromhead, D. (2017). The impact of school climate and school identification on academic achievement: Multilevel modeling with student and teacher data. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2069. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02069
• Mehta, S. B., Cornell, D., Fan, X., & Gregory, A. (2013). Bullying climate and school engagement in ninth‐grade students. Journal of School Health, 83(1), 45-52. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2012.00746.x
• Mitchell, M. M., Bradshaw, C. P., & Leaf, P. J. (2010). Student and teacher perceptions of school climate: A multilevel exploration of patterns of discrepancy. Journal of School Health, 80(6), 271-279. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2010.00501.x
• Özyer, K. K. (2023). Determining the relationship between the attitudes towards scientific research and academic engagement levels of pre-service teachers. Gümüşhane University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 14(2), 456-470. https://doi.org/10.36362/gumus.1174994
• Pope, D., & Miles, S. (2022). A caring climate that promotes belonging and engagement. Phi Delta Kappan, 103(5), 8-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/00317217221079972
• Renick, J., & M Reich, S. (2021). Best friends, bad food, and bullying: How students’ school perceptions relate to sense of school belonging. Journal of Community Psychology, 49(2), 447-467. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22471
• Ripski, M. B., & Gregory, A. (2009). Unfair, unsafe, and unwelcome: Do high school students’ perceptions of unfairness, hostility, and victimization in school predict engagement and achievement? Journal of School Violence, 8(4), 355–375. https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220903132755
• Romero, L. S., & O'Malley, M. D. (2020). An examination of classes of school climate perceptions among Latinx middle school students. Journal of School Psychology, 82, 70-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2020.08.001
• Rudasill, K. M., Snyder, K. E., Levinson, H., & L Adelson, J. (2018). Systems view of school climate: A theoretical framework for research. Educational Psychology Review, 30, 35-60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-017-9401-y
• Şahin, A., & Atbaşı, Z. (2020). Examining the role of the teacher in creating a positive school climate. Ahi Evran University Social Sciences Institute Journal, 6(3), 672-689. https://doi.org/10.31592/aeusbed.742972
• Sarı, M. (2013). Sense of school belonging among high school students. Anadolu University Journal of Social Sciences, 13(1), 147-160.
• Slaten, C. D., Ferguson, J. K., Allen, K. A., Brodrick, D. V., & Waters, L. (2016). School belonging: A review of the history, current trends, and future directions. Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 33(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/edp.2016.6
• Smith, K. H. (2020). Perceptions of school climate: Views of teachers, students, and parents. Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice, 26, 5-20. https://doi.org/10.26522/jitp.v26i.3460
• Sökmez, A. B., Çok, F., & Avcı, D. (2020). Investigation of school climate perceptions of high school students. Ankara University Journal of Faculty of Educational Sciences (JFES), 53(2), 665-692. https://doi.org/10.30964/auebfd.547628
• St-Amand, J., Smith, J., & Rasmy, A. (2021). Development and validation of a model predicting students’ sense of school belonging and engagement as a function of school climate. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 20(12), 64-84. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.20.12.5
• Strayhorn, T. L. (2018). College students' sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all students. Routledge.
• Tabachnick, B. G., Fidell, L. S., & Ullman, J. B. (2013). Using multivariate statistics. Pearson.
• Terzi, A. R. (2015). Developing a school climate scale for university students. Journal of Research in Education and Teaching, 4(4), 111-117.
• Thapa, A., Cohen, J., Guffey, S., & Higgins-D’Alessandro, A. (2013). A review of school climate research. Review of Educational Research, 83(3), 357–385. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654313483907
• Vang, T. M., & Nishina, A. (2022). Fostering School Belonging and Students' Well‐Being Through a Positive School Interethnic Climate in Diverse High Schools. Journal of School Health, 92(4), 387-395. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13141
• Verkuyten, M., & Thijs, J. (2002). School satisfaction of elementary school children: The role of performance, peer relations, ethnicity and gender. Social İndicators Research, 59, 203-228. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016279602893
• Wang, M. T., & Degol, J. L. (2016). School climate: A review of the construct, measurement, and impact on student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 28(2), 315-352. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000247
• Wang, M. T., & Eccles, J. S. (2013). School context, achievement motivation, and academic engagement: A longitudinal study of school engagement using a multidimensional perspective. Learning and Instruction, 28, 12-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2013.04.002
• Waters, S. K., Cross, D. S., & Runions, K. (2009). Social and ecological structures supporting adolescent connectedness to school: A theoretical model. Journal of School Health, 79(11), 516-524. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2009.00443.x
• Welsh, W. N. (2000). The effects of school climate on school disorder. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 567(1), 88-107. https://doi.org/10.1177/000271620056700107
• Yang, C., Bear, G. G., Chen, F. F., Zhang, W., Blank, J. C., & Huang, X. (2013). Students' perceptions of school climate in the US and China. School Psychology Quarterly, 28(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000002
• Yin, Y., Su, Q., & Li, S. (2024). School belonging mediates the association between negative school climate and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents: a national population-based longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1368451. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1368451
• Yokuş, G., Ayçiçek, B., & Yelken, T. Y. (2017). An investigation about the perceptions of undergraduate students related to higher education service quality and their sense of institutional belongingness: Education Faculty sample. Karaelmas Journal of Educational Sciences, 5(1), 1-18.
• Zullig, K. J., Huebner, E. S., & Patton, J. M. (2011). Relationships among school climate domains and school satisfaction. Psychology in Schools, 48(2), 133-145. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20532
• Zumbrunn, S., McKim, C., Buhs, E., & Hawley, L. R. (2014). Support, belonging, motivation, and engagement in the college classroom: A mixed method study. Instructional Science, 42(5), 661–684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-014-9310-0
• Zysberg, L., & Schwabsky, N. (2021). School climate, academic self-efficacy and student achievement. Educational Psychology, 41(4), 467-482. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2020.1813690