English language learner perceptions of school climate and teacher–student relationships: role of acculturation and implications for achievement

Positive perceptions of the school social environment have been found to be associated with a host of positive outcomes. However, English language learners (ELL) might be less likely to have positive perceptions of their school environment or a strong sense of school belonging compared with their fluent English-speaking peers. The purpose of the present study was to examine predictors of 10th-grade ELL students’ perceptions of the school and students’ perceptions of their relationships with their teachers. Student characteristics such as their level of English ability and school characteristics such as the demographics of the student and teacher populations at the school, as well as policies and opportunities afforded by the environment, were also considered. ELLs had lower positive perceptions of school climate, but higher positive perceptions of teacher–student relationships than their peers. English proficiency predicted positive perceptions of school climate, but was not significantly related to teacher–student relationships. In turn, perceptions of school climate were important contributors in explaining reading scores for ELLs after taking language proficiency into account, while teacher–student relationships were a significant factor in predicting GPA. Implications are discussed.