**Abstract**

Positive school climate promotes teachers' professionalism and students' social development and academic achievement. However, positive school climate cannot be taken for granted within a context of rapid change and increased complexity. Educators are often faced with critical situations, which result in many of them questioning their own abilities. The problem set forth in this study is based upon the changes in educational context as caused by current social, financial, and technological factors and their impact on school climate. This paper explores the variables of school climate and communication in order to find the extent to which their relationship can work in favor of an open, safe, and creative educational organization where teachers and students will wish to belong. It also examines the communication skills of school principals. The conceptual framework of the study is based on research related to organizational culture and educational communication. The study is a critical meta-analysis of literature on the statement problem. The results show that school climate is fundamental to achieving school goals. Communication among all participants is a key factor in creating a positive school climate, and the communication skills of the school principal are largely crucial.

**Keywords:** school climate, communication, listening culture, leadership

## **1. Introduction**

In the last decades, the scientific interest in the quality of education and its outcomes has focused on the importance of school climate, indicating that a positive school climate can promote the academic and social development of children and the professional performance of educators [1, 2]. As well as this, school climate is one of the main aspects of the teaching and learning process. The deliberate cultivation of a culture of learning and participation in an organization requires the systematic collection, processing, and distribution of knowledge aimed at the organization's optimal performance [3].

However, school climate is not always positive or creative, and teachers and students alike may not feel good at school, while school objectives may not be achieved. It is a fact that conditions in education are becoming increasingly difficult, as a result of the broader, rapidly changing, and increasingly complex environment. Teachers are often faced with violent, even criminal, acts, which may cause them to consider changing careers or have low self-confidence regarding their chosen profession [4]. Critical situations can disrupt school climate [5–7]. Ways of dealing

with such problematic situations can be sought by competent bodies, but they can also come from within the school, from educators themselves, probably with more successful and long-lasting outcomes. This is because when the school community itself is involved in resolving a problem, there is increased likelihood of the solutions being viable. In contrast, when the solution is imposed by external agencies, it is often rejected by the school. The school setting is a microcosm of society. Here, participants are not production units of an industrial or business organization, but partakers in the learning process which is, first and foremost, an act of communication [8, 9].

At this point, the questions arise: How can a school become a space where teachers and students wish to belong to? What factors can foster a positive feeling and creativity? How can effective communication within the school unit act as a catalyst for enhancing school climate?

The problem set forth in this study is based upon the changes in educational context as caused by current social, financial, and technological factors, and their impact on school climate. The importance of this study lies in its effort to seek effective interventions in school that can create appropriate conditions for the development of teachers' and students' creativity. We argue that both effective interpersonal communication among all members of the school community and the principal's communication skills are crucial.

The aim of the present analysis is to examine the variables of school climate and communication in order to find the extent to which their relationship can work in favor of an open, safe, and creative educational organization where a positive school climate exists and to which teachers and students will wish to belong. In particular, the following questions will be considered:


Gorton and Alston note that through communication, the organization's culture is shaped, while the workforce is encouraged to develop, obtain, and process information, to take decisions and to plan ([10], pp. 96–97). The principal's role as pedagomanager acts as a catalyst both in the formation of cooperative relationships and in the performance of the educational work of the school unit. The principal is the central regulator of school climate. The term *pedagomanager* is used to denote the principal's dual role, performing both administrative and pedagogical tasks ([11], p. 52). This is a feature that distinguishes educational organizations from other organizations in the market. These two types of tasks differ significantly, and the person entrusted with them must be 'transformed' into an optimal pedagogue or a perfect manager, respectively. According to Deal and Petersen [12], when it comes to shaping school climate, school leaders are models, potters, poets, and healers.

#### **2. Literature review**

#### **2.1 School climate**

#### *2.1.1 Concept and importance*

Over the last two decades, there has been a growing appreciation that school climate, the quality and character of school life, fosters teachers' professional effectiveness, dedication to the profession, and continuing professional development.

#### *Beyond Teaching: School Climate and Communication in the Educational Context DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93575*

Research confirms what teachers and parents have claimed for decades: a safe and supportive school environment, in which teachers and students have positive social relationships and are respected, engaged in their work, and feel competent, matters.

But what is meant by *school climate*? The definitions that have been offered vary but they do share a common characteristic: school climate is related to the quality and features of school life, in the way that participants experience them. The term denotes the way in which interactions among participants in pedagogical events and phenomena are experienced. It focuses on emotions and describes teachers' interpersonal relationships. School climate refers to the quality and character of school life as it relates to norms and values, interpersonal relations and social interactions, and organizational processes and structures. School climate sets the tone for all the teaching and learning done in the school environment and, as research proves, it is predictive of students' ability to learn and develop in healthy ways. Further, research has shown that positive school climate directly impacts important indicators of success such as increased teacher retention, lower dropout rates, decreased incidences of violence, and higher student achievement [7, 13, 14].

The school experience is recorded as a process whereby participants interact based on the operation of principles, rules and values pertaining to teaching, learning, administration, and the school's relationship with the family and the broader environment. Relevant and alternative terms applied to the concept of school climate are "psychological climate," "pedagogical climate," and "pedagogical atmosphere". At the same time, Peterson & Deal write of school culture: "culture is the underground stream of norms, values, beliefs, traditions, and rituals that has built up over time as people work together, solve problems, and confront challenges" ([15], p. 28). Culture influences everything that goes on in schools: staff collaboration, abilities, and their willingness to change, the practice of instruction, and the relations among parents.

In this paper, we have adopted the term "school climate", which we define as the way in which the interactions of participants in pedagogical events and phenomena are experienced. The vast majority of researchers and scientists indicate that school climate, in essence, reflects the individual experience at school. School climate is described as pleasant, unpleasant, positive, negative, boring, fertile, shifting, open, closed, constructive, interesting, engaged, cold, etc. As an umbrella term, "positive" is more frequently encountered in the relevant literature to cover those terms that denote the above desirable qualities. Positive school climate exists when participants feel safe and at ease in a setting where interaction is favored through the care and support provided by principals and colleagues. A positive school climate is characterized by:


Such an environment has an impact on all those related to the school: educators, students, parents, and the broader community. Positive school climate favors the teachers' professionalization and students' development and progress at a sociopolitical, emotional, moral, and academic level. It constitutes a constructive experiential process preparing students for adult life within a democratic society. To create a positive school climate, the educator supports students, expresses high expectations, opts for student-centered approaches, provides immediate feedback, creates a family-like atmosphere, encourages interpersonal communication, evaluates success positively, formulates clear rules, gives work and academic orientation, and expresses his/her confidence in students ([17, 18], p. 125).

It has been acknowledged that there are various elements that shape school climate although there is no universal agreement on its key features. What is certain is that "strong positive cultures are places with a shared sense of what is important, a shared ethos of caring and concern, and a shared commitment to helping students learn" ([15] p. 29). Researchers have divided climate into variables, subsystems, or dimensions in order to define the components of organizational climate. Owens and Valesky [19] explain that organizational climate is the product of four variables or subsystems: ecology, milieu, organization, and culture. A review of relevant research shows that there are 10 fundamental dimensions that shape individual experience in school, which are grouped in four categories:


As far as the teaching and learning process is concerned, positive school climate activates motivation and the willingness to learn. Learning is not possible outside a suitable school climate, both in terms of the learning outcomes and in terms of the process. It is worth noting that the school climate that the child experiences at the start of his/her learning route is the foundation upon which he/she builds learning ability and experience.
