Teacher support and the social classroom environment as predictors of student loneliness
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Teacher support and the social classroom environment as predictors of student loneliness Astrid Hoås Morin1 Received: 13 December 2019 / Accepted: 22 October 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract This study examined the relationships between students’ perceptions of teacher support, the social classroom environment, school loneliness, and possible gender differences among 2099 first year upper secondary school students in Norway. Data were collected in the fall (t1) and spring (t2) of the school year. Results from structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses showed that perceived emotional and instrumental teacher support were directly related to students’ perceptions of the social classroom environment, and indirectly to student loneliness through the social classroom environment. While for boys, both types of teacher support were significantly related to these variables, only emotional teacher support was of significance to girls. The strongest contributing factor to students’ school loneliness was their perceptions of the social classroom environment. Some implications of this study are that a positive social classroom environment is an important safeguard against student loneliness, and that teachers can aid in preventing loneliness among students through facilitating a positive social environment in the class. Keywords School loneliness · Perceived teacher support · Social classroom environment · Gender differences · Upper secondary school · SEM
1 Introduction Experiencing positive interpersonal relationships is crucial to individual’s development and wellbeing as it contributes to a sense of belonging. Conversely, experiencing a lack of such relationships can lead to a sense of deprivation, which can manifest itself in feelings of loneliness (Baumeister and Leary 1995; Heinrich and Gullone 2006). Adolescents are in a developmental period characterized by biological and social transitions and may therefore be particularly prone to feeling lonely (Goosby et al. 2013; Heinrich and Gullone 2006). Adolescence is also a time when * Astrid Hoås Morin [email protected] 1
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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relationships with peers relative to parents become increasingly more important (e.g. Hafen et al. 2012). Research has consistently demonstrated that the quality of students’ relationships with peers is closely linked with their experiences of loneliness at school (e.g. Heinrich and Gullone 2006). All the same it is unclear in what ways other classroom factors, such as teacher support and the social environment in the classroom, influence on students’ feelings of school loneliness, and moreover whether these associations are dependent of gender. This study thus sought to investigate the relations between students’ perceptions of social support from teachers, their experiences of the social classroom environment, and loneliness among a sample of first year upper secondary school students in Norway. A clarification of these relationships can h
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