The Introduction of a Mandatory School Uniform Positive School Climate - Essay Example

A study conducted by Gottfredson and Gottfredson (2001) involving 848 school principals in the US indicate that one of the main activities that schools implement to improve student behaviour and academic outcomes is to improve school climate. Implementing mandatory school uniform policies have been a subject of much discussion with increasing interest in its relationship to improved school climate. It has been suggested that the mere implementation of a school uniform policy at the very least symbolizes a school’s commitment to school climate change and this perception alone improves student outlook and performance (Brunsma & Rockquemore, 1998).

Brunsma and Rockquemore (2003) observe however that with all the interest in the link between school uniform policies and school climate and the importance of school climate to student behaviour, safety and academic achievement, research on the significance of school uniform is sorely lacking. Much of the research is purely theoretical or uses flawed methods. Therefore, more research is needed on the implications and effectiveness of mandatory school uniforms (Brunsma & Rockquemore, 2003).

This proposed research will thus fill a gap in the literature by examining and analysing the extent to which a mandatory school uniform policy affects perceptions of school climate. It is anticipated that this research will provide empirical evidence of student and teachers’ perception of school uniform and their relationship to school climate and will identify areas for further empirical analysis and research. Unlike the UK, in the US there is no nationwide mandatory uniform policy for publically funded schools.

However, in the US, all private, independent and international schools require uniforms with some schools permitting an opt-out scheme (Mathison & Ross, 2008). During the 1980s interest in the implementation of a uniform policy began in Washington, D.C. when Mayor Marion Barry suggested a uniform policy for Washington’s public schools.