School Culture
School Culture
School Culture:
School culture
According to Fullan (2007) school culture can be defined as the guiding beliefs and values evident in the way a school operates.
School culture can be used to encompass all the attitudes, expected behaviors and values that impact how the school operates.
National Culture
Hofstede considers (national) culture as The collective programming of the human mind
The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic or age group Dictionary.com
Cheong, (2000) Cultural factors in school effectiveness: a framework for comparative work, School Leadership and Management 20(2) 207-225
Why worry?
Just because there are different national cultures within our staff, and/or parent body, do we as leaders have to adapt our leadership in any way?
Intercultural communication
Above surface, primarily in awareness
Power Distance
The extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions accept and expect that power is distributed unequally.
Low PDI
Power Distance
High PDI
Education is more student centered, teachers expect children to take the initiative Teachers are experts who transfer impersonal truths
Education is more teacher cenetred, they take all the initiative in class Teacher is seen as the guru who transfers personal wisdom and knowledge Quality of learning depends on excellence of TEACHER
Individualism vs Collectivism
Individualism People are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. Collectivism People belong to ingroups that take care of them, in exchange for loyalty.
Low
Individualism
High
Uncertainty Avoidance
Uncertainty avoidance The extent to which people feel threatened by ambiguous situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these
Low
Uncertainty Avoidance
High
Individuals accept open ended discussions and there is little need for one right answer
Individuals need structure and definite answers; want to know the right answer
The teacher always needs to know all the answers, they are the expert
http://www.geert-hofstede.com
Comparisons in action:
A meeting is taking place (same meeting two countries) where teachers will design a PYP unit (under the theme of discoveries). One meeting is in Denmark
For discussion:
1. How will the meeting be run/organised? 2. Who will run the meeting? Who decides? 3. Who talks in the meeting? When? 4. How long will the meeting take? Clue: review the countries cultural dimensions
So what does this mean for us, our leadership and school cultures?
BUT: this is not easy to achieve when some accept these as normal and others dont
And all of these need to be clearly connected to the development of a school culture that is focused on enhancing student learning
3.
Ben Walden:
Before we can influence others we must understand how they influence themselves because it will be different to how we influence ourselves
In order to lead effectively, you need compelling narratives framed to the people you are talking to
Thank you
Resources
Cheong, Cheng Yin (2000) Cultural Factors in Educational Effectiveness: a framework for comparative research, School leadership and Management, 20, 2 pp 207-225 Deal & Peterson, Shaping School Culture, Jossey-Bass (e-book) Eaker, R., DuFour, R, Dufour, R (2002) Getting Started: Reculturing schools to Become Professional Learning Communities, Solution Tree, Bloomington (e-book) Fullan, M., (2007) The new meaning of educational change, Routledge, New York. Hofstede, G., (2005) Cultures and Organizations: Software of the mind, McGraw Hill