Classroom Social Climate among Undergraduate Dental Surgery Students

Abstract

The classroom social climate refers to the environment created through the interactions between students and teachers within the teaching-learning process. It influences interpersonal relationships, academic performance, motivation, and well-being. A positive social climate requires that teachers deliver well-organized classes, promote active participation, respect, commitment, discipline, collaboration, security, and confidence, and the recognition and enhancement of students' strengths. This study evaluates the classroom social climate of second-year students in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery program at a public university. It follows a quantitative, analytical, cross-sectional, correlational design with a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 124 students (88 women and 36 men). Descriptive statistics, internal consistency analysis, and Pearson correlation were applied using SPSS v.24. The results indicate that teaching performance directly influences camaraderie, adherence to rules, and students’ sense of belonging. In turn, the affective atmosphere and compliance with rules depends on the level of camaraderie. Overall, the social climate among students is perceived as “sometimes” high in quality, conditioned by teaching performance, peer coexistence, and the sense of belonging.