Dana Omer_Lit Review Week 4 1

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
TED 690: Capstone
Literature Review:
Classroom Environment and Mental Health of First Graders
Dana Omer
5/2/19

[This review is about a study taken to investigate the correlation between classroom

environment and the effects of a negative classroom environment on students who belong to

a low socioeconomic status. The study interviews 24 kindergarten students from 1200

public schools. The biggest discovery from this study was that stress from teachers can be

easily transferred to the students and that students from low-income households experience

this crossover stress more severely than students from middle class and higher income

homes.]
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It is no surprise that social environments in the classroom have a heavy impact on student

achievement. After all, students spend just as much time in the classroom as adults do at the

office. Most of their childhood is spent within the walls of a classroom. Without a positive

environment to learn, what kind of learning could possibly take place? Two researchers

investigate the effects that classroom learning environments have on the mental health of first

grade students in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

Melissa A. Milkie and Catherine H. Warner preface the study by examining their theory

behind mental health of first grade students and classroom environments. According to Milkie

and Warner, students that come from a low socioeconomic status experience more stress in

school than students in a higher socioeconomic status for the following reasons. First, students

in low-income neighborhoods tend to attend low-income schools. Many low-income schools do

not have the funds for resources or even simple up-keep of their school. The poor appearance of

the school could cause stress on a child who does not feel excited or welcomed on campus. This,

in turn, lowers students’ motivation to come to school and perform, stifles their creativity, and

causes more behavioral problems. Secondly, Milkie and Warner state that teachers who work in

a low-income school are often stressed out due to the lack of funds as well. What’s more is that

they will feel high cases of stress if they are having difficult challenges with colleagues and

parents and that stress is often transferred to the student. Third, the amount of paperwork given

to teachers now due to the “No Child Left Behind” Act is so enormous that teachers often find it

hard to keep up. This stress of collecting data and completing paperwork dampens the classroom

environment. Lastly, students from low income areas often struggle with behavioral problems

because there is not a lot of support or discipline at home. This causes stress in the classroom
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because teachers have to reprimand and redirect students all day. This constant negative tone in

the classroom can affect students and the learning environment.

To test the hypothesis that negative features of classroom learning environments affect

poor and minority children more negatively than they do middle-class and white children, the

researchers interviewed 24 kindergarten students about to graduate to first grade from 1200

public schools. Interviews were done on the computer, as well as computerized and done over

the phone. After a series of questions regarding family’s socioeconomic status, mental health

problems, learning disabilities, etc., the results were as follows: The data indicated that boys

have more problems than girls, that black children had more problems than any of the other

races, that Asian children had the fewest, and that socioeconomic status was significantly

associated with learning problems. The results also indicated that a classroom that is low on

resources and with most students who read below grade level, significantly affects the learning

problems in children.

After reading this case study, I definitely did not learn anything I already didn’t know just

through years of working with children and being in education. This article did really hit home

for me though. I work in a low-income district where my school really is short on funds and the

appearance of our school is affected by it. We have a drinking fountain that has been ripped out

of the wall because we couldn’t afford to fix it, we have two classes being taught in the multi-

purpose room because we do not have enough buildings for classrooms. Another class has to be

taught in the gym from 12:00 on because the air conditioning is broken and it just gets too hot to

teach in the portable classroom. Lastly, we have no cafeteria or kitchen so students are forced to

bring their own lunch and about a third of our students don’t bring lunch everyday because their

parents cannot afford it. I see the affects of the classroom environment on the well-being and
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mental health of my students every day. While there is nothing I can do about the funding, I can

make sure that I support my students in my classroom the best I can by providing the healthiest,

visually appealing room that I can create on my limited funds, and by regulating my own stress.

If I can stay patience and keep calm for my students, even though I may be feeling overwhelmed

and stressed out, I can be making a huge positive difference in their self-esteem and mental

health. I can’t change everything about my school or the socioeconomic status of my students,

but I can be a beacon of light for them when they walk in my room everyday.
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Reference

Milkie, M. A., & Warner, C. H. (2011). Classroom Learning Environments and the Mental

Health of First Grade Children. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 52(1), 4–22.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146510394952