Divergent longitudinal trajectories in students' and professionals' perceptions of school climate, educational practices, and school violence problems

Introduction School climate is widely recognized as a key factor in student well-being and learning and is also associated with job satisfaction and teacher retention. Although a substantial body of research exists, most studies rely on cross-sectional designs, focus on a single group of respondents, typically students, and pay limited attention to the broader socio-educational environment. This study uses a descriptive longitudinal approach to examine changes over three years in students' and professionals’ perceptions of school climate, educational practices, and minor and major school violence problems within a Swiss primary and lower secondary school undergoing a shift toward more educational and restorative practices. Methods Data were collected in November 2022, 2023, and 2024 using adapted versions of the Socio-Educational Environment Questionnaire. The sample included 180 students and 14 professionals who participated in all three waves. Within-group changes over time and differences between students and professionals were examined using repeated-measures MANOVA and linear mixed models. Univariate repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted to assess trajectories across subdimensions of school climate and educational practices. Results Among students, perceptions of school climate and educational practices declined linearly over time, while minor violence problems increased, and major problems remained stable. Professionals' perceptions remained largely stable; only perceptions of educational practices showed a favorable trend. Mixed models showed that professionals reported more positive perceptions of school climate and educational practices than students, as well as fewer major violence problems. Boys reported more major violence problems than girls. Trends across subdimensions of school climate and educational practices were heterogeneous in both groups. Findings for professionals should, however, be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size. Discussion The decline in students' perceptions of school climate and educational practices can be partly explained by developmental processes during early adolescence and the transition to secondary school. Divergent trajectories across respondent groups highlight the value of longitudinal monitoring from multiple perspectives for identifying differentiated patterns of change and for informing school-wide improvement efforts that are more responsive to students' developmental needs and experiences.