Tables 20-23 presents the results of the psycho-social school environment scales which together contribute to the school climate (Caring Environment, Psychological Sense of School
Membership, Sense of Belonging, Comprehensive School Climate Inventory, School Discipline
and School Engagement) and the demographic differences in the learner sample. Please see section 3.6.4 “Data processing and statistical analysis” for the constructs included in the school environment component scales. Only statistically significant results are presented. Independent samples t-tests were used for gender and grade differences in the psycho-social school environment and are presented in Table 20 below. One-Way Between Groups ANOVAs were used for poverty quintile, age, race, religion and the number of adults in household differences in the psycho-social school environment and are presented in Tables 20-23 below.
Results indicate statistically significant differences in mean scores on gender differences
on the psycho-social school environment with learners of male gender reporting higher mean scores on perceptions of the School Engagement (M = 2.69, SD = .625) than female learners’ mean scores (M = 2.64, SD = .467), [t(600) = 1.287, p < 0.001, d = .588]. Males reported higher mean scores on School Discipline (M = 2.11, SD = .584) than female learners’ mean scores (M = 2.04,
SD = .543), [t(600) = 1.533, p < 0.01, d = .595].
Results indicate statistically significant differences in mean scores on grade differences on the psycho-social school environment with Grade 11’s reporting higher mean scores on perceptions of the Comprehensive School Climate scale (M = 2.13, SD = .499) than Grade 9’s mean scores (M = 2.13, SD = .649), [t(600) = -9.700, p < 0.001, d = .561]. Grade 9’s also reported higher mean scores on the Psychological Sense of School Membership scale (M = 2.89, SD = .739) than Grade 11‘s mean score (M = 2.64, SD = .678), [t(600) = 4.375, p < 0.01, d = .593]. Further results are presented in Table 23 below.
164 Table 20
Means and Standard Deviations of Gender and Grade Differences on the Components of the School Environment
Mean SD Mean SD t – value 95% CI d –
value
Variables Gender LL UL
Item Male (N=301) Female (N=299)
Caring Environment 2.88 .586 2.84 .621 .966* -.049 .144 .597 School Discipline 2.11 .584 2.04 .543 1.533** -.020 .161 .595 Sense of Belonging 2.67 .683 2.70 .789 -.475** -.141 .085 .595 School Engagement 2.69 .625 2.64 .467 1.287*** .030 .146 .588 Grade Grade 9 (N=300) Grade 11 (N=300) Caring Environment 2.91 .588 2.81 .616 1.898** -.003 .190 .598
Psychological Sense of School
Membership 2.89 .739 2.64 .678 4.375** .140 .367 .593
Sense of Belonging 2.69 .760 2.50 .633 3.27** -.094 .131 .578
Comprehensive School Climate 2.08 .649 2.13 .499 -9.70*** -.139 .047 .561
School Discipline 2.18 .595 2.07 .534 .024* .092 -.090 .591
Note: 95% Confidence interval (CI) for the mean difference; Cohen d is the effect size for the t-test values; LL- lower limits and UL-
Upper limit
165 Table 21
Components of the school environment and age and religious differences
Age Post Hoc Comparisons
Tukey
Variable 13-15 years (N=139)
[1] 16-17 years (N=236) [2] 18 – over 20 years (N=225) [3]
School Environment Components M SD M SD M SD
Caring Environment 2.96 .612 2.89 .613 2.76 .577 [1>2]**, [1>3]**
Psychological Sense of School
Membership 2.92 .743 2.76 .746 2.67 .661 [1>2]**, [1>3]**
Comprehensive School Climate 1.93 .577 2.13 .580 2.18 .570 [3>1]***, [2>1]***
School Discipline 1.93 .583 2.10 .544 2.13 .563 [3>1]**, [2>1]**
Religion
Variable Christian (N=421)
[1] Hindu (N=83) [2] Black African Religious (N=96) [3]
School Environment Components M SD M SD M SD
Caring Environment 2.89 .631 2.88 .479 2.71 .560 [1>3]*, [2>3]*
166 Table 22
Components of the school environment and poverty quintile, race and number of adults living within household differences
Poverty Quintile Post Hoc Comparisons Tukey
Variable PQ2 (N=150) [1] PQ3 (N=150) [2] PQ4 (N=150) [3] PQ5 (N=150) [4] School Environment Components M SD M SD M SD M SD Caring Environment 2.77 .511 2.65 .592 2.88 .578 3.15 .617 [4>1]***, [4>2]***, [4>3]*** Sense of Belonging 2.47 .684 2.67 .738 2.67 .691 2.58 .671 [2>1]*, [2>4]*, [3>1]* [3>4]* School Discipline 2.13 .581 2.22 .545 2.04 .552 1.90 .536 [2>4]*, [1>4]*, [3>4]* School Engagement 2.65 .571 2.78 .582 2.71 .600 2.52 .408 [2>1]**, [2>4]** Race Variable White (N=143)
[1] Black African (N=303) [2] Indian (N=116) [3] Coloured (N=39) [4] School Environment
Components M SD M SD M SD M SD
Caring Environment 3.14 .612 2.79 .556 2.93 .506 2.85 .779 [1>2]***, [1>3]**, [1>4]** Psychological Sense of School
Membership 2.70 .805 2.79 .688 2.87 .692 2.49 .588 [3>4]**, [2>4]**, [1>4]*
Comprehensive School Climate 2.01 .577 2.13 .578 2.08 .587 2.28 .530 [4>1]**, [4>3]**, [4>2]*
School Discipline 1.88 .539 2.18 .568 2.00 .536 2.17 .512 [2>1]***, [4>1]**
School Engagement 2.54 .398 2.72 .579 2.66 .625 2.73 .533 [4>1]**, [2>1]**
Number of Adults Living within Household
Variable 0 adults (N=20)
[1] 1 adult (N=117) [2] 2 adults (N=209) [3] 3 or more adults (N=254) [4] School Environment
Components M SD M SD M SD M SD
Comprehensive School Climate 2.62 .876 2.14 .600 2.06 .553 2.09 .543 [1>3]***, [1>4]*** School Discipline 2.44 .487 2.10 .550 1.98 .560 2.10 .555 [1>3]**, [1>2]*, [1>4]*
167 Table 23
One-Way Between Groups ANOVA Results for components of the school environment and demographics differences
Source of Variance Sum of Squares Df Mean Squares F Values Age
Caring Environment 3.632 2 1.816 5.051**
Psychological Sense of School Membership 5.552 2 2.776 5.436**
Comprehensive School Climate 6.034 2 3.017 9.255***
School Discipline 4.061 2 2.030 6.477** Religion Caring Environment 2.638 2 1.319 3.652* Poverty Quintile Caring Environment 20.520 3 14.145 20.618*** Sense of Belonging 3.875 3 .755 1.558* School Discipline 8.476 3 2.825 9.419* School Engagement 5.120 3 1.707 5.207** Race Caring Environment 19.333 3 6.444 19.310***
Psychological Sense of School Membership 5.082 3 1.694 3.307**
Comprehensive School Climate 2.821 3 .940 2.833**
School Discipline 9.896 3 3.299 10.843***
School Engagement 3.388 3 1.129 3.756**
No. of adults living with in household
Comprehensive School Climate 5.983 3 1.994 6.105***
School Discipline 4.764 3 1.588 5.076**
Note: *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001
There are statistically significant differences in mean scores on overall perceptions of the school climate according to the Comprehensive School Climate scale among the three age groups,
[F(2, 600) = 9.255, p < 0.001]. Multiple comparisons, using Tukey HSD indicated that the mean scores for 18-over 20 year olds (M = 2.18, SD = .570) were significantly higher than 13-15 year olds (M = 1.93, SD = .577), p < 0.001. The mean scores for learners aged 16-17 years (M = 2.13,
SD = .580), p < 0.001 were statistically significantly higher than mean scores for 13-15 year olds
(M = 1.93, SD = .577), p < 0.001. Further results as presented in Tables 21 and 23 above.
There are statistically significant differences in mean scores on overall perceptions on the
Caring Environment scale among the three religious groups, [F(2, 600) = 3.652, p < 0.001].
Multiple comparisons, using Tukey HSD indicated that the mean scores for Christians (M = 2.89,
SD = .631) and Hindus (M = 2.88, SD = .479), were significantly higher than Black African
Religious groups (M = 2.71, SD = .560), p < 0.05. Further results as presented in Tables 21 and 23 above.
168
The results as presented in Tables 22 and 23 above, show that there is a statistically significant difference in mean scores on overall perceptions on the Caring Environment scale among the four poverty quintile groups, [F(3, 600) = 20.618, p < 0.001]. Multiple comparisons, using Tukey HSD indicate that the mean scores for PQ5 (M = 3.15, SD = .617) were significantly higher than PQ2 (M = 2.77, SD = 5.11), p<0.001, PQ3 (M = 2.65, SD = 5.92), p<0.001 and PQ4 (M=2.88, SD= 5.78) p<0.001. Further results are presented in Table 22 and 23 above.
There are statistically significant differences in mean scores on overall perceptions on
School Discipline among the four race groups, [F(3, 600) = 10.843, p < 0.001]. Multiple
comparisons, using Tukey HSD indicated that Black African learners were statistically significantly more likely to have higher mean scores on overall perceptions of School Discipline (M = 2.18, SD = .568) than White learners (M = 1.88, SD = .539), p < 0.001 and Coloured learners (M =2.17, SD = .512), p < 0.01. Further results as presented in Tables 22 and 23 above.
There are statistically significant differences in mean scores on overall perceptions on the
Comprehensive School Climate scale among the four number of adults in household groups, [F(3,
600) = 6.105, p < 0.001]. Multiple comparisons, using Tukey HSD indicated that the mean score for learners living in households with no adults (M = 2.62, SD = .876) were significantly higher than learners living in households with two adults (M = 2.06, SD = .553), p < 0.001 and learners living in households with three or more adults (M = 2.09, SD = .543), p < 0.001. Further results as presented in Tables 22 and 23 above.
5.2.3. The influence of the school environment on learner engagement in sexual activity