We will explore the concept of school culture from the perspective of teacher subcultures and the categories devised by Dalin and Stoll & Fink We will relate issues on school culture to your placement school We will develop an appreciation for how important school culture is in the process of curriculum change Teacher subculture can be based on: , International Journal for Leadership in Education, 4(4), 401414. Dorfman, P. W. DiTomaso, N. & , Commentary. Such reculturing (Fullan, 2001) is perhaps the biggest challenge to school leaders, though, for it will certainly generate conflict, contradiction and destabilization as part of the process as DiPaola (2003, p. 153) has indicated: This unique culture will reveal itself through a number of institutional characteristics: While these representations are identifiable and mostly tangible, the illusiveness of the concept of culture lies in the fact that it is an holistic concept which is more than the sum of these component parts. School culture can have an positive. (2005). Al-Meer, A. Hothouse culture exists where the pressure is to high academic achievement, typically in response to government or parental pressure to deliver high quality examination results. Stoll and Fink (1996) created a typology of five types of school culture: moving (dynamic and successful determination to keep developing), cruising (rather complacent, often with privileged learners who achieve despite little school dynamism), strolling (neither particularly effective or ineffective, but long term not keeping pace with change), struggling (ineffective but trying to address issues), and finally sinking (ineffective and not improving). Culture is so rooted in all aspects of human activity that its all encompassing nature may limit its usefulness in practice to conceptualizing leadership and shaping the development of leaders. Cultural globalization is the international transfer of values and beliefs, and while strictly it is multi-directional it is typically perceived as dominated by the spread of western, particularly American, values and symbols across the globe. Bryant, M. & Educational Management & Administration, Bush, T. (2006). (2004). Deal, T. (2006). Global forces, national mediations and the management of educational institutions. M. Such a perspective suggests that the dominant culture, were it to be discerned with any certainty, would be embedded, unexamined and therefore unchallenged, in preparation and development programs. In this set article, Professor Louise Stoll explores the relationship between school culture and school improvement. V. a set of shared values and preferred actions among members of a society that largely determines among other things, the boundaries within which leader development is possible. The GLOBE project was undertaken in a business context. Whittier Christian High School is a highly rated, private, Christian school located in LA HABRA, CA. (1999). R. J. ), Effective educational leadership (pp. Those attempting to loosen the bonds of dominant cultures implicit in preparation and development programs research and write within the very dominant orientations they are trying to question (Gronn, 2001). , The government of Thailand sought to introduce the western concept of school-based management, but found this problematic in the context of an existing societal culture, typical amongst the staff of Thai schools, in which deference to senior management and leadership made the introduction of collaborative and distributed approaches to leadership very difficult. They suggest the spiritual values embedded in the teaching of Vivekananda, Tagore and Ghandi would provide a more culturally appropriate basis for the leadership of education than the currently Western values which relate in part to the colonial history of the nation. A number of research areas seem indicated as urgently required. Intercultural Education. Lumby et al. Hofstede (2003) has argued strongly that there are measurable differences between the cultures of nations. Stoll and Fink (1996) created a typology of five types of school culture: moving (dynamic and successful determination to keep developing), cruising (rather complacent, often with privileged learners who achieve despite little school dynamism), strolling (neither particularly effective or ineffective, but long term not keeping pace with change), A second early example from the US of a description of a cultural type was the shopping mall school. A tentative model and case study. In the period since the 1970s many commentators have created sometimes a single description of school culture, and sometimes typologies providing alternate descriptions. There is relatively little attention paid to middle leaders such as department heads and teacher leaders (Bush & Jackson, 2002). Published 1996. More research of this kind, exploring fit not only to the dominant culture of the nation/region, but also fit to the multiple cultures within the nation or region would provide a potentially powerful antidote to programs which are currently not culturally inclusive. Bjerke, B. Hofstede, G. Bennett ing the micropolitic and the school culture as key components to study school improvement . Cultures consequences: management in Saudi Arabia. Day In the opening chapter to this section of the Handbook, Fink and Stoll review the contemporary field of educational change and ask why educational change is so difficult to understand and achieve in present times. House, R. J. ABSTRACT The relevance of the concept of culture to school effectiveness and school improvement is explored. Archer (1996, p. 1) contends that the notion of culture remains inordinately vague to the extent that poverty of conceptualization leads to culture being grasped rather than analysed. Hallinger (2001) notes the changing aims of Asian education and specifically the global standards applied to assessing the quality of education in Hong Kong. In Walnut Elementary 625 N. Walnut St. La Habra, CA 90631 Phone: 562-690-2369. But the real purpose of schools was, is, and always will be about learning. Hoppe, M. H. More helpful is the model of Schein (1990), which, in contrast, has provided a generic and analytical model of culture. Despite the difficulties of establishing the meaning of the concept of culture, it is used ubiquitously as a key variable, Janus-like, suggested both to influence and be influenced by a range of factors which impact on education. Cultural sensitivity demands consideration of how leadership is dispersed amongst the players within schools and the regional administration in a specific context before designing national and local systems in response. (Ed.). M. Developing the argument further, Litvins point is that even within an apparently homogeneous group there will be wide variation in culture related to the multiple characteristics, history and context of each individual. Qiang, H. , & In parallel, preparation and development sometimes include an element of raising awareness of cultures deemed to be other than that of the majority or the dominant group, what Stier (2003, p. 84) refers to as content-competencies, generally targeted at increasing knowledge of minority groups within the region or nation. Aitken, R. The focus on culture at the macro or societal level is matched by concern with the micro or organizational level, the school level. (1996). J. Cranston, N. El Nemr, M. In China the relatively low contact hours enjoyed by teachers combined with a culture of comfort with peer critique has resulted in teacher groups working together for a considerable proportion of their time to achieve change (Bush & Qiang, 2000), while principals spend much of their time on operational administration (Washington, 1991). These are the cultural, verbal, visual and behavioral components of the school in action through which a wide range of cultural messages and aims will be delivered. 6886). Mills Processes and structures designed for a time that has passed are no longer appropriate in a rapidly changing society. None is universally applicable or comprehensive, but all can serve to support an educational leaders reflection on the culture of a specific school. (1971). you are agreeing to our use of cookies. School culture refers to a total of shared values expressed through norms, rituals, expectations, behaviour and everyday practices. Every school, for example, has a specific geographical and social location which will strongly shape its cultural context the inner city school serving a diverse multi-ethnic community will inherit a diversity of cultures that may be quite different to those of the suburban middle class school. & One of the best known divisions was by Stoll and Fink (2000), which distinguishes mobile, . Homogeneity or diversity is the organization more effective when it is characterized by diversity or homogeneity? Walker, A. In previous papers we have described the evolution of this project in detail (Stoll and Fink, 1988, 1989a, 1989b, Fink and Stoll, 1992). Despite some advances since that time, understanding of culture and its relationship to leadership and its development remains empirically underdeveloped. Culture and Agency. , Panel 3. Assessment is also increasingly against competences which are exported internationally (MacPherson et al., 2007). They may also tackle the issue of how culture can be managed. Leading and Managing Education: International Dimensions. School administration in China: a look at the principals role. It involves consideration of fit to the culture of each individual school but also the necessity to equip leaders to engage with their own organizations culture, to sustain, develop or challenge it. Farrar, E. Ultimately, it is the cultural product/output of the school by which it will be judged, for it will be benchmarked against the cultural expectations that government, society and community have for their schools. However, these may be taken-for-granted, and only apparent to those designing and delivering development when a lack of fit is pointed out by specific groups. Bottery asserts that there is a risk through this that there may be emerging a perspective that defines what looks increasingly like a global picture of management practice. Those undertaking preparation for development may have differing value priorities which are culturally shaped. Our intent in this paper is to provide a retrospective of the past few years to provide some helpful insights into the change process in school systems. & An example of the cultural challenges that emerge from this has been described by Hallinger and Kantamara (2001) in the context of Thailand. Collard, J. , They begin by discussing the historical, social and organizational forces that create continuity in education; which . E. V. Velsor, E. V. , Kantamara, P. Trond P., Glatter Brunner Washington Middle School located in La Habra, California - CA. While the analytical models described are helpful in conceptualizing the nature of culture, there are a number of key issues for leaders to recognize in reflecting on their own organizations. Bryant, M. As within continents or regions, within each nation, a common culture cannot be assumed, the differences between the culture of Native Americans, Hispanic and African American women and that of white males within the United States being an example given above. School culture, school effectiveness and school improvement. While these are different aims, they both involve intercultural fluency. London: Sage. Sarason, S. The radical modernization of school and education system leadership in the United Arab Emirates: towards indigenized and educative leadership. The capacity of any individual or group to engineer culture is questionable (Adler, 1997; Morgan, 1986). (2002). Moller, J. Throughout the world a great deal of effort and money has been expended in the name of educational change. But what is an ineffective school? A number of summative frameworks for analyzing culture have therefore been developed which seek to reduce the complexity of culture to simplified types which can be labeled for ease of comprehension. Javidan 17). After graduation, 76% of students from this school go on to attend a 4-year college. Boosting pupil's progress development Working together to respond to changing context Know where they are going and having the will and skill to get there Possess norms of improving schools1.MOVING REFERS ON THE FOLLOWING: In crafting school culture, school leaders (principals, teachers, and parents) act as models, potters, poets, actors, and healers. Education Leadership Review, 3(2), 2831. , Training and educating principals for such cultural literacy is the focus of later sections in this chapter. Stier insists that the latter cannot be achieved by content competencies alone. Tuition is $13,400 for the highest grade offered. International Studies in Educational Administration, Thomas, D. C. (Eds. Head teachers in rural China: aspects of ambition. 206207). 178190). Stoll (2000) gave a general definition on the foundations of school's cultures. A more flexible and subtle shaping will be needed. Preparing head teachers to respond to these challenges will be a significant challenge, therefore, and this is a focus later in the chapter. Leadership and Diversity; Challenging Theory and Practice in Education, Macpherson, R. Macro Relations: Culture and Globalization, Culture and Leadership Global Perspectives, Preparing Leadership for Cultural Fluency, Culture and Leadership Issues and Future Research, International Handbook on the Preparation and Development of School Leaders, Lumby, Walker, Bryant, Bush & Bjork, forthcoming, House, Paul, Hanges, Ruiz-Quintanilla, Dorfman & Mansour 2004, http://www.thunderbird.edu/wwwfiles/ms/globe/Links/process.pdf, http://www.ucea.org/JRLE/pdf/vol1/issue1/Tippeconic.pdf, http://www.ucea.org/JRLE/pdf/vol1/issue1/Walker.pdf, conceptually, through the ideas that are valued and promoted, verbally, through the language, terminology and discourses in use, behaviorally, through the activities, social interactions and rituals that occur, visually, through the designs and styles adopted by the organization in its physical and material components. The attempt to mould culture in any direction involves alignment with some and challenge to others. , Bush Bell Duke, D. L. (2004). (2002). As we shall demonstrate later in the chapter, it is getting to understand these values and beliefs that is a critical first step for educational leaders in developing the skills to manage, develop and evolve culture in their school. Mentoring is therefore flavored by ease and acceptance of the views of seniors but sensitivity to negative feedback. This is but one element of the interplay of competing values, priorities and hierarchies of power which influence culture. Identity based and reputational leadership: an American Indian approach to leadership. | Privacy policy (1997).Organizational behaviour (3rd ed.). Louque, A. , Leadership learning the praxis of dilemma management. Improving. , J. Rusch, E. Towards a framework of investigating leadership praxis in intercultural. ABSTRACT In 1986, the Halton Board of Education in Ontario, Canada initiated an Effective Schools Project. , Prosser (1998) has shown how culture is expressed at different levels within an organization, ranging from the individual classroom, to teams of teachers, to the whole school. Fullan (2001) has suggested that recognizing the need for, and understanding the processes involved in, cultural change are essential tools of leadership development, for it is in establishing a culture of change in school that successful school development can occur. Revisiting the Culture of the School and the Problem of Change. P. Heck, R. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 1(2), 95117. It has 525 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 13 to 1. House, R. Cultural fluency will be predicated on more than cognitive effort (Lakomski, 2001). Hallinger, P. The first approach led to selection of 25 most frequently found publications on the school as learning organisation and/or learning school. A key influence on culture within and beyond schools has been globalization. Who. Wong, K. However House et al. From the approach adopted for teaching and learning, to the cultural values espoused in the pastoral and ethical functions of the school, to the relative value ascribed to possible destinations for pupils beyond school, the fabric of school life will be imbued by these cultural processes. Bjerke and Al-Meer (1993, p. 31) suggest that in the Arab world: Powell, Farrar and Cohen (1985) used research from fifteen high schools to depict a culture of easy and uncritical acceptance of underachievement. ), Strategic Human Resource Management (pp. Chinese culture and leadership. London: Sage. Hargreaves (1995) developed a different typological model in which he distinguishes formal, welfarist, hothouse, and survivalist school cultures based on the educational priorities of the school in the context of external market environments. The product will be a mosaic of sub-cultures, which may reinforce the cultural objectives of the whole school or, in some cases, appear as counter cultures that challenge the organizational hegemony. Walker, A. (1996). In the education sector, the PLC provides a pathway to a learning organisation: one which comprises 'a group of people who take an active, re ective, collaborative, None is universally applicable nor comprehensive in its utility, yet they provide a range of perspectives to assist in clarifying this miasmic concept. In While the former classroom and lecture based model is widespread, they suggest that the process model of problem solving, mentoring and internship holds more hope of reflecting indigenous cultures. Imperial Middle School 1450 S. Schoolwood Dr. La Habra, CA 90631 Phone: 562-690-2344. An international perspective on leadership preparation. Cultures and Organisations: Software of the Mind. Effects of cultural diversity on in-class communication and student project team dynamics: Creating synergy in the diverse classroom. International Journal for Leadership in Education, 7(2),127146. & Hanges In This may be interpreted in several ways ranging from the operational to the political. | Contact us | Help & FAQs Leadership and culture: Conceptual and methodological issues in comparing models across cultural settings. Such a knowledge base would allow theory to be developed in a more culturally aware way. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley. Begley, P. Mills, M. The values they espouse or eschew, the aspirations and achievements they have, and their contribution to communities (local, regional, national), whether positive or negative are the cultural product of the school. (1998). Despite the recognition that culture is an elusive and diverse concept, identifying some of the existing intellectual paradigms of culture is an important starting point. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. R. A. This paper aims to explore how the formation of Palestinian teachers' professional identity was affected by their experiences during the violent conflict known as the Second Intifada (2000-2005) and its impact on the school social culture. Stoll and Fink (1996) developed a model in determining the school culture. We are using cookies to provide statistics that help us give you the best experience of our site. Goddard, T. L. In terms of cultural inputs it is important that leaders within a school have the skills and knowledge to read the cultural landscape of the school, to recognize those aspects of it which can be controlled or manipulated, and decide which should be influenced and in what ways. Another output lies in the cultural characteristics and values of the young people who are the product of the school once they have completed their time there. Kachelhoffer, P. For example, 86% of the worldwide variance on individualism-collectivism and 70% of variance across power-distance are found in Europe (Sparrow & Hiltrop, 1998, p. 73). Journal of Educational Administration, 334(5), 1231. Although researchers are just beginning to document the effectiveness of the PLC culture, early indications show that it has a significant positive effect on student learning (Lee & Smith, 1996; Louis & Marks, 1998; Stoll et al., 2006; Wiley, 2001). (1998). P. Wong, K-C. (2004). A more extensive discussion of the variation in culture and practice internationally is offered by Foskett & Lumby (2003) and Lumby et al. , & (2006). (2000) Leadership and Culture in Chinese Education. Educational leadership: an Islamic perspective. Chan, B. Davis Leaders interact with culture at the organizational level both in terms of efforts to include the multiple cultures which may be present and also to sustain, adapt or change the dominant culture. P. W. (2004). We must be aware that the spread of good practice internationally through the educational management literature, through the actions of international organisations such as UNESCO, and through the impact of professional development programmes, all of which are dominated by the perspectives of western educational management practitioners and academics, is in danger of presenting such a global picture of good practice. P. J. Exploring the cultural context of school improvement in Thailand. Hoppe (2004) suggests that experiential learning proves enjoyable and effective for US leaders while French and German leaders often view this approach as time-wasting childs play (p. 353). Following our examination of globalization and culture in the previous section, we consider here the picture of culture within educational leadership internationally. He created a series of descriptors of the culture of schooling with a particular focus on how key cultural characteristics equate to the absence of a productive learning environment. Wang, H. There have, of course, been many more attempts to categorize school cultures, each offering a particular perspective to illuminate the nature and effects of culture. Educational Administration Quarterly, 39(1), 6894. Lumby with Coleman (2007) identifies the emotional dimensions of rage, confusion, and anxiety in engaging with alternate cultures (DiTomaso & Hooijberg, 1996; Osler, 2004; Prasad & Mills, 1997; Rusch, 2004). This paper's focus is school culture as 10. A second view, though, is that of leaders as agents of cultural change, as discussed earlier in the chapter. The school leader is therefore at the fulcrum point, subject to exogenous effects of culture, refracted in part through his or her leadership development and personal cultural locus, and in turn engaging with endogenous culture in the school and its community. (1995). org/10.4135/9781446219362 Keywords: Prosser, J. Changing the culture of a school or of a leadership development program is therefore not a finite endeavor. Discernment of the publicly espoused culture, the culture implicit in practice and the desired culture will inevitably comprise a kaleidoscope of differing opinions and wishes reflecting the perspectives of the individuals responsible for the design and delivery of development. Schein, E. H. Conflicting expectations, demands and desires. (1991). Elmes In contrast the assessment of educational leaders often assumes that consideration of cultural fit is unnecessary in relation to standards which are uncritically accepted as international. Secondly, it considers the important issue of the macro relationship of culture and globalization. Instead there are history, context, process, interactivity, power relations and change. International Journal of Educational Management, 5(3), 45. In a strict sense we might argue that the culture of every educational institution is unique, derived from the context in which the school operates and the values of those who have led or been part of the organization over time. Finally, we identify key issues and areas for future research. At the exogenous level, there appears to be widespread cultural homogeneity implicit in leadership development; that is, whether explicitly acknowledged or not, development is underpinned by some degree of belief in leadership as an invariable activity (Walker & Walker, 1998; Bhindi & Duignan, 1997): this despite recognition that even the word leader has very different connotations in different cultures (House, 2004). Their description of each provides significant detail of the culture of the type. Any research which attempts to map such differences in concept and practice will face severe methodological challenges. Walker, A. The (racially neutral) politics of education: a critical race Theory perspective. The organization's relationship to its environment. C The notions of cultural diffusion and cultural fit assume that programs designed to take account of the cultural expectations and preferences of participants are more likely to lead to effective learning and resulting practice. Cultural inputs have many facets these will include the external cultural context (society, community and economy at local, regional and national scales), and the cultures brought to the school by all those engaging with it (teachers, parents, pupils, for example). A. Walker, A. Understanding international differences in culture would provide a basis for planning cultural fit in preparation and development programs. According to Mortimore (1991), a lot of improvement efforts have failed because research results were not translated adequately into guidelines for educational practice. 210223). Analysis of the content of programs might suggest that such commitment is largely camouflage for neglect of such values (Lopez, 2003; Rusch, 2004). (2003). Ribbins | Cookies The development of a professional school culture is an important approach for promoting teacher learning (Stoll & Kools, 2017). Online publication date: May 2009, Print ISBN: 9780415988476 (1998). (2001). Bottery, M. Accessed online 16.2.07. For example, North American and European development assert a cultural commitment to inclusion and equality for all. Preparing leaders involves considering the nature and impact of culture on the crafting of their development (for example, the curriculum or mode of delivery). Cross-cultural understandings of leadership: themes from Native American interviews.