Democratic classroom management and school satisfaction: the serial mediating roles of trust in teacher and school engagement.

Introduction: The present study explores the direct and indirect relationships between democratic classroom management and school satisfaction among students, with trust in teacher and school engagement as serial mediators. Methods: A correlational research design was employed and data were collected from a sample of 800 secondary school students enrolled in grades 5 to 8 in Türkiye. Results: Mediation analysis was conducted, and the results indicated that democratic classroom management was a significant predictor of trust in teacher and school engagement but not of school satisfaction. Trust in teacher was a significant predictor of school engagement and school satisfaction, and school engagement was the strongest direct predictor of school satisfaction. Most importantly, democratic classroom management had a significant indirect effect on school satisfaction through both trust in teacher and school engagement, which supported the serial mediation model. The results show that democratic classroom practices positively affect students' trust in teachers, and this, in turn, leads to higher school engagement and finally to increased school satisfaction. Discussion: The current study contributes to the existing literature by examining both interpersonal and contextual variables simultaneously in one serial mediation model and by shedding light on the underlying psychological processes through which democratic classroom environments affect students' satisfaction with school.