Cent Eur J Public Health 2025, 33(4):285-291 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a8692

Trends in the perception of school climate in the Czech Republic: HBSC study 1994–2022

Jan Sandora¹, Petr Baďura¹, Irene García-Moya², Robert Brnka³, Peter Tavel¹, Zdeněk Meier¹, Michal Kalman¹, Gabriel Gulis^{1, 4}

¹ Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Olomouc University Social Health Institute, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic

² Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain

³ First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

⁴ Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

Objective: This study aimed to examine long-term trends in Czech adolescents' perceptions of school climate between 1994 and 2022, focusing on school satisfaction, perceived school pressure, and perceived social support from classmates and teachers.

Methods: Data were drawn from eight cycles of the Czech Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, encompassing responses from 63,252 students aged 11, 13 and 15 years. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess temporal trends and associations between school climate indicators and demographic variables, including gender, age, and family affluence.

Results: Compared to 2022, students were significantly more likely to report liking school a lot in 2010 (OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.94-2.36) and 2014 (OR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.52-1.76). Reports of school dissatisfaction were lowest in 2010 (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.49-0.57) and 2014 (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.57-0.63) relative to 2022. Perceived school pressure was highest in 2022, while in 2002 the odds of feeling pressure were less than half as likely (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.41-0.47). Classmate support peaked in 2010 (OR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.90-2.18) vs. 2022, and teacher support was highest in 2018 (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.26-1.39). Girls and older students consistently reported greater school pressure and lower levels of support, while those from more affluent families reported more favourable perceptions of school climate.

Conclusions: Czech adolescents' school climate perceptions have deteriorated over the past three decades, marked by rising demands and weakening support at school. These trends may contribute to reduced school engagement and heightened psychological distress, emphasizing the need for systemic interventions that ensure that high school expectations are coupled with relational and emotional support in schools.

Keywords: school climate, adolescents, school satisfaction, school pressure, teacher support, classmate support, HBSC

Received: June 19, 2025; Revised: September 25, 2025; Accepted: September 25, 2025; Published: December 31, 2025  Show citation