Development of a questionnaire for assessing the school environment

ABSTRACT

This article describes the development of a school environment questionnaire to assess student's perception of their school environment. The dimensions and internal consistency reliability were examined ulitlzing various statistical methods - factor analysis and alpha coefficient. The sample consisted of 705 students from two high schools with ages ranging from ten to nineteen years. Results showed that the students perceived their school as having various aspects, rather than a global point of view. Factor analysis identified seven dimensions in the school environment external characteristics of the environment, aesthetic and functional elements of the classroom, students' bathroom, the canteen and staffroom, the aesthetic and functional elements of the school as a whole and sanitation. Overall the internal reliability of the factors was high. Implications for school health programs are addressed. (au)