Measuring perceptions of school learning environments for younger learners

Students' perceptions of the learning environment play an important role in their academic achievement and social lives. While most measures of school environment have been developed for middle- and high-school students, they also have been used for younger students, such as 4th and 5th graders. What is unclear is whether these measures are actually valid enough for younger student populations. We investigated whether the measurement invariance of one such measure, the popular 5Essentials of School Culture and Climate Survey, holds for younger learners and middle-school students. Results showed that not all measurement invariances hold across younger (4th and 5th grade) and older learners (7th grade). Moreover, half of the survey questions show differential item functioning (DIF). Findings from this study suggest that younger and older students could perceive school learning environments differently. Accordingly, cautions should be exercised when comparing younger and older students' perceptions.