Assessment of the Psychosocial Environment of the Classroom: The Class Atmosphere Scale

Summary The Class Atmosphere Scale (CAS) was developed to assess systematically the psychosocial environment of public junior and senior high school classes. Twelve content subscales, each consisting of 10 items, measure consensual environmental press. Analyses are based upon data collected from 479 urban junior and senior high school students and their six teachers. Psychometric properties of the CAS are described, and profiles are constructed to compare average student-teacher perceptions of their classes. The CAS represents an assessment instrument applicable to both treatment and classroom environments through identical psychosocial dimensions.