Exploring the Role of School and Classroom Climate in Shaping Mathematics Achievement and Self-Concept: A Multilevel Analysis of Indonesian Students Using TIMSS 2011

Background The primary goal of education is to nurture children's cognitive and non-cognitive skills, preparing them to face future challenges. However, achieving these objectives can be influenced by several factors, with school climate being a significant one. This study focuses on exploring students' mathematics achievement and self-concept using data from the TIMSS 2011 assessment. Methods This study utilized TIMSS 2011 data, comprising a sample of 5,795 eighth-grade students from Indonesia. The data was analyzed using three-level multilevel models with MLWin. The students were nested within 174 classes and 153 schools, and this hierarchical structure was incorporated into the analysis through the three-level multilevel modeling approach. Results The study reveals a complex relationship between school climate and student outcomes. Our analysis shows that active student participation in mathematics lessons and classroom discipline positively impacted academic achievement, even after accounting for various student, teacher, and school-level factors. Surprisingly, student safety exhibited a negative association with academic performance. Furthermore, in relation to student mathematics self-concept, five school climate elements were significant predictors: students' connection to their school, teachers' perceived safety, teachers' confidence in their mathematics instruction, the availability of adequate school physical resources, and student safety. In contrast, interactions among teachers and students' engagement in mathematics lessons were negatively linked to academic achievement. It's important to note these findings with caution, as the overall goodness of fit for the models was relatively modest. Conclusion The multilevel analysis offers a detailed and insightful understanding of the Indonesian school climate. It not only provides a valuable framework for interpreting diverse school practices but also powerfully illustrates how school climate serves as a critical protective factor for improving student outcomes, irrespective of the school's type. This research strongly reinforces the idea that school climate is a highly malleable aspect of education, one that schools and local governments can effectively shape and improve.