Relationship Between School Climate and Social-Emotional Learning of Students with Disabilities in Integrated Secondary Schools in Osun State

This study investigates the relationship between school climate and social-emotional learning outcomes of students with disabilities in integrated secondary schools in Osun State, South West Nigeria. School climate, encompassing the quality of interpersonal relationships, safety, teaching and learning practices, and institutional environment, has been identified as a critical contextual factor influencing not only academic outcomes but the social-emotional development of all learners. For students with disabilities, whose social-emotional wellbeing is particularly susceptible to environmental influences, school climate may exert especially significant effects. Using a cross-sectional correlational design, the study samples three hundred students with diverse disabilities from twelve integrated secondary schools across Oshogbo, Ile-Ife, and Ilesa. School climate is measured using the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory adapted for Nigerian contexts, and social-emotional learning is assessed using the Social Skills Improvement System. Structural equation modelling is employed to examine direct and mediated pathways between school climate dimensions and social-emotional learning domains. The study controls for disability type, severity, and socioeconomic status. Findings are expected to confirm that academic climate and student-teacher relationships are the most powerful school climate predictors of social-emotional learning. Recommendations include school climate improvement plans specifically attentive to the inclusion and belonging of students with disabilities and measuring social-emotional outcomes as a routine indicator in Osun State school evaluation. Keywords: school climate, social-emotional learning, disability, integrated schools, Osun State.