An investigation of children's perceptions of the emotional climate of their schools

This study investigated the emotional climate of third and fourth grade classrooms from the child's perspective using the My Class Inventory, Polaroid pictures, and an open-ended interview developed by the investigator (Fraser, 1983). Twenty-four third and fourth graders from three afterschool programs participated in the study. Following the administration of the My Class Inventory, children took a picture of the place in his/her school: (a) where he/she was most likely to be creative; (b) where he/she was not likely to be creative; (c) where learning was easy for him/her; ( d) where learning was most difficult for him/her; and ( e) that was his/her very favorite place. Immediately after the picture-taking session, each child talked about the pictures he/she took and explained why he/she chose those particular places. Children's interviews were analyzed using qualitative methods. Each interview was read and thematized. A second-level analysis was performed to compare similar themes across the five picture-taking categories. From these interviews, the following six concepts emerged as descriptors of children's conceptualization of school: (a) Freedom/Choice; (b) Teacher; (c) Concentration; (d) Activity Level; (e) Evaluation; and (f) Curriculum Content. This multidimensional model showed the child as the center and represented the interrelationships among the concepts. These results were interpreted with regard to psychological safety and developmentally appropriate practice. Implications for teaching and future research are presented.