Development and Validation of the Teachers’ Perceptions of Classroom Climate Scale for the Portuguese Population

Abstract

To improve learning outcomes, evidence-based processes suggest that classroom
climate is a means of creating more sustainable schools committed to improving
the quality of teaching and learning. Therefore, valid measures of classroom
climate are necessary to enable comparative studies focused on teachers'
perceptions, including important dimensions such as cooperation. As no validated
instruments exist for the Portuguese context, we developed and validated the
Teachers' Perception of Classroom Climate (TPCC), consisting of five
dimensions: teacher support, peer support, academic competence, satisfaction with
the school, and cooperation. Following a quantitative research approach, the
construct validity was analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, internal
consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient, and test-retest
reliability was assessed using univariate and multivariate General Linear Models
and Spearman’s rho correlations. The study supported the five-factor structure of
the TPCC and demonstrated good psychometric properties. These results support
the use of the TPCC to evaluate teacher perceptions of classroom climate.