Strides in Development of Medical Education (Nov 2015)
The Relationship between Classroom Psychosocial Climate and Academic Achievement Based on the Views of Students and Faculty Members
Abstract
Background & Objective: The psychosocial climate of the classroom is a general concept for describing explaining and exposing the specific features of a class and has significant effects on students academic achievement This study was conducted for the first time in Iran It was performed to evaluate the relationship between the psychosocial climate of the classroom and academic achievement based on the views of faculty members and PhD students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences Iran Methods: The present study was performed using the census method It was conducted on 222 medicine dentistry and pharmacology students and 21 faculty members of Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2013 using the psychosocial climate of class questionnaire Data were collected at the end of the second trimester when students received their academic records Data were analyzed using SPSS software independent and paired ttest ANOVA central and diffusion indicators and the Pierson correlation Results: Comparison of faculty members expectation score (3180 ± 477) and perception score (2920 ± 460) showed a significant difference (P < 0050) Based on ANOVA results faculty members expectation level was higher than their perception Comparison of the score of students expectation from (2903 ± 437) and perception of (24433 ± 510) the classroom climate showed a significant difference Expectation level was higher than perception level (P < 0001) There is a negative correlation between students average level and their perception level (P = 0042) Conclusion: The data indicated that there is a significant relationship between students and faculty members level of expectation and perception of psychosocial climate of the classroom The identification and development of conceptual models particularly an experimental model of academic performance based on cognitive features can be helpful in the improvement of the psychosocial climate of the classroom which results in students academic achievement
