Comparative Analysis of the Interface between the School Climate and Teachers Activities within Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP)

Project summary

Bullying in schools destroy safe school climate and has a negative influence on pupil’s ability to learn, concentration, academic performance and affect pupils’ attendance as well (Reid, Monsen, Rivers, 2004). Conversely, a positive school climate is necessary to effectively prevent bullying among pupils in school. However, there is limited empirical studies focusing on school climate and teacher’s attitude and activities toward bullying (Farrington, 1993; Espelage & Swearer, 2003; Lee, 2011). Through the systematic, critical and self-critical enquiry, which aims to contribute to the advancement of teachers’ knowledge about the link between school climate and teachers activities to reduce bullying in school  from the international perspective.

The aim of the PhD thesis is to elaborate an interface between the school climate and teachers activities within OBPP in Lithuanian and Norwegian schools. Hypothesis:  Teachers work with OBPP more actively in schools, which have developed a positive school climate.  

The comparative analysis in the current research will have an international perspective and will focus on Lithuanian and Norwegian schools. Due to many factors, which are going to be evaluated, the study is going to be limited only to teachers as a respondents in the quantitative survey. Pupils and parents, who are very important contributors in the development of positive school climate are not going to be invited into the survey. In this study, Cross-sectional , correlational design will be chosen with regard to time. Data Collection Techniques: The study will be carried out using a quantitative survey approach, where data will be collected through a standardized questionnaire. Although many measures of school climate have been developed, the School Climate Assessment Instrument (SCAI) will be used as a second part of the questionnaire. The representative sample is going to be selected by applying random sampling. Nominal characteristics of the sampling will be included, for example, type of the school, duration of working with OBPP in school, active or passive work with OBPP, teachers’ gender, ethnicity, nationality and, finally, years of working in the school.  Data analysis techniques: The results will be analyzed and the comparative analysis by using regression analysis will done with SPSS program for Windows (version 24).

References:

Espelage, D.L., Swearer, S.M. (2003). Research on school bullying and victimization: What have we learned and where do we go from here? School Psychology Review, 32, 365-383.

Farrington, D. (1993). Understanding and preventing bullying. In M. Tonry (ed.) Crime and Justice: a Review of Research Vol. 17, 381-458. University of Chicago Press: Chicago.

Lee, Ch.-H. (2011). An Ecological Systems approach to Bullying Behaviors Among Middle School Students in the United States. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 26(8) 1664-1693. DOI: 10.1177/0886260510370591.   

Reid, P., Monsen, J., Rivers, I. (2004). Psychology’s Contribution to Understanding and Managing Bullying within Schools. Educational Psychology in Practice Vol. 20 No 3, September 2004 241- 258.