An Examination of Organizational Culture in Public Schools.

Autor/inn/en	Osborne, Bill; Price, John L.
Titel	An Examination of Organizational Culture in Public Schools.
Quelle	(1997), (23 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Cultural Differences; Educational Research; Elementary Secondary Education; Instructional Improvement; Public Schools; School Culture; New Mexico; Oklahoma; South Dakota + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Kultureller Unterschied; Bildungsforschung; Pädagogische Forschung; Unterrichtsqualität; Public school; Öffentliche Schule; Schulkultur; Schulleben; South-Dakota
Abstract	This paper asserts that organizations have cultures that can be described and that this descriptive data may be used prescriptively. Basic cultural components include customs, collegial relationships, competency, and confidence. This study investigated whether or not school level has any relationship to cultural norms (for example, whether elementary schools have cultural norms different from junior high schools cultural norms). The intent was to provide disaggregated data by school level to reflect descriptive differences and similarities in the culture of schools as noted by levels. The study sample consisted of self-selected schools that desired to use the Cultural Analysis Questionnaire (CAQ) to describe their existing school culture for purposes of school improvement. Data were collected from three states (Oklahoma, South Dakota, and New Mexico) and represented 33 elementary schools, 10 junior high/middle schools, and 14 high schools. The study encounters distinct differences among the four clusters and respective norms for the three levels of schools examined. Results of t-tests performed on the data indicated that each of the organizations vary significantly from the one another. Data collected support contentions voiced throughout the years by educators who have indicated that high school teachers tend to be more isolated from their peers and may not share experiences with their colleagues. School administrators must be aware of areas of agreement and disagreement among staff members, and they must have data to help the organization accomplish the journey desired. Contains a table of cultural norms for schools, results of t-test analysis, and 15 references. (BT)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC