APC Week 26 Current Issues in my Professional Context.

School Culture

School culture is one of the most complex and important concepts in education.

Schein (1985, p.6) considers the basic essence of an organisation’s culture to be: the deeper level of basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of an organisation, that operate unconsciously, and that define in a basic ‘taken for granted’ fashion an organisation’s view of itself and its environment (cited in APC, Week 26 Class Notes).

Reflecting on the culture at my school is a natural step from my reflections on my communities of practice. Deal and Peterson (1999) defined that school cultures as a collection of “traditions and rituals that have been built up over time as teachers, students, parents, and administrators work together and deal with crises and accomplishments” (p. 4, cited in Hongboontri, C., & Keawkhong, N. 2014).

My school is rich in history and tradition. The school was set up in 1909 by the Religious Society of the Sacred Heart. The essence of a Sacred Heart education is a deep concern for each person's total development - spiritual, intellectual, emotional, social, cultural and physical. Though only halfway through my second year at the school I feel the over-riding values and principles create a culture that really 'walks the walk', my daughters attend the school and I'm an old-girl myself.

Stoll (1998) defines school culture as three dimensions:

• the relationship among its members
• the organisational structure including the physical environment and management system
• the learning nature.

The organisational culture is an invisible powerful force that influences the members'ĵ behaviour. Hongboontri and Keawkhong (2014) show that the school culture impacts on teachers’ beliefs and instructional practices but this relationship is also reciprocal. 

Stoll (1998) places the importance of understanding school culture as the starting point for leading change towards school improvement. Leading change in my school was the focus of my LDC 1 and 2 assignments and I identified aspects of school structure and leadership that affected the increasing challenges presented by BYOD and the transition to becoming a Microsoft Academy school.

Challenges facing my community of practice include the sustained and successful use of digital media tools not only in the classroom but for faculty and school-wide organisational structure. Resistance to change was impacted on by a lack of overall clear vision from the school in PD sessions and a level of dissonance was identifiable in the latter part of 2015.

Within the context of the teaching profession it is vital to harness and engage the digital media tools available to us and was the focus of my literature review. Literature reinforces the need to create meaningful, authentic, student-based learning in order to meet the challenges facing our 21st century learners (Polly and Hannafin, 2001). A vital component of the successful and sustainable use of digital media in the classroom is on-going, relevant PD within a supportive school culture (Loveless, 2011).

The structure of PD and the filtering out of new technology skills and resources is now managed in such a way to support more personal and subject specific training. Staff have a clearer picture of the 'big picture', an essential element in leading successful change (Fullan, Cuttress & Kilcher, 2007). An element of 'gamefication' has been incorporated with staff being able to choose from small workshops that best suit their level of interest and mastery and is proving very successful.

The Friday morning PD sessions we hold allow for ticks to placed alongside each of these steps considered necessary in creating change within a school (pg 10, Stoll, 1998). I play an active role in these sessions - leading some where possible and also holding the role of Faculty Lead Person (FLP) for the Social Sciences Faculty. This position allows me to pass-on relevant and useful information gained from attending weekly technology meetings.

The notion of perception in teachers’ responses to technology can be considered one of the most influential predictors of satisfaction and intention to continue with its use in the classroom (Underwood & Dillon, 2011). By continuing to focus on and enable individualised PD, a positive and forward-thinking culture is enabled and contributes towards teachers' own self -belief regarding their use of the new tools at their disposal - another vital step in meeting the challenge facing my community of practice.

References

Hongboontri, C., & Keawkhong, N. (2014). School Culture: Teachers' Beliefs, Behaviors, and Instructional Practices. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39(5), 66-88. Retrieved from http://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2332&context=ajte

Fullan, M., Cuttress, C., & Kilcher, A. (2007). Forces for Leaders of Change. Journal of Staff Development, 26(4), 54–64. http://doi.org/10.4135/9781452218991.n2

Loveless, A. (2011). Technology, pedagogy and education: reflections on the accomplishment of what teachers know, do and believe in a digital age. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 20(3), 301–316. http://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2011.610931

Polly, D., & Hannafin, M. J. (2011). Examining How Learner-Centered Professional Development Influences Teachers’ Espoused and Enacted Practices. The Journal of Educational Research, 104, 120–130. http://doi.org/10.1080/00220671003636737

Stoll (1998). School Culture. School Improvement Network’s Bulletin 9. Institute of Education, University of London. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Understanding-school-cultures/School-Culture:

Underwood, J., & Dillon, G. (2011). Chasing dreams and recognising realities: teachers’ responses to ICT. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 20(3), 317–330. http://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2011.610932