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Culture and change: Interactions during a school improvement effort
Abstract
Culture and change are complex, multidimensional forces often overlooked in school improvement efforts. The culture of a school is created by people as they interact and learn to cope with problems encountered in their work environment. Change involves both content and process. This case study examined the interactions of culture and change during an improvement effort in one school system. Culture, the content and substance of a school, is defined by the values, beliefs, and behaviors of a group of people. School improvement efforts can be classified into three broad perspectives: technological, political, and cultural. A perspective acts as a framework for interpreting, defining, and understanding events in the social world. Their roles and responsibilities cause teachers and administrators to create unique cultures and to act from different perspectives. The process of change involves meaning and the dynamics of implementing change. Studies of successful school improvement efforts have identified essential characteristics or themes. A constructivist inquiry paradigm was used in this study. Claims, issues, and concerns of stakeholders were used to identify the culture. Data were collected using an ethnographic approach. Triangulation of data was used to support the conclusions. The investigator's role evolved from one of observer and participant to facilitator. Three conclusions were drawn from this study: teachers and administrators in this school system view aspects of school and school improvement from different perspectives that reflect their cultural beliefs and values; the planned change process was altered when aspects of the culture were made explicit; and interactions between culture and change occurred during the process and are observable in the product. The implications for school improvement efforts are five lessons drawn from this study: the culture of the school must be recognized as an important component in improvement efforts; cultures can be changed; a vision is needed to lead the improvement effort; external assistance may be needed; and school improvement efforts need to focus on the right things as well as doing things right.
Subject Area
School administration|Educational sociology
Recommended Citation
Peterson, Marilyn Joan, "Culture and change: Interactions during a school improvement effort" (1993). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9415990.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9415990