L12
CHANGING SCHOOL CULTURE
• To promote school culture as a learning
culture; a culture that is able to respond
to a learner’s internal and external needs
• Culture is defined as written or unwritten
regulations which control our actions;
stories, myths, standards or values
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LEVELS OF SCHOOL CULTURE
1. Trans-rationale
2. Rationale
3. Sub-rationale
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1. TRANS-RATIONALE LEVEL
• Values
are
developed
and
interpreted as metaphysical based
on the beliefs, ethical codes and
moral perceptions
• Schools are not clear of their values
at trans-rationale level
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2. RATIONALE LEVEL
• Where values are perceived and developed in
the context of social norms, customs,
expectations and standards, and depend on
the group’s collective justification
• At this level, schools clearly understood their
values as stated in their norms, regulations,
curriculum, daily practices, etc.
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3. SUB-RATIONALE LEVEL
• Values are integral parts of personal needs
and feelings, based on direct, basic, affective
action
• Values are asocial and amoral
• Personal preferences have a major influence
on an individual teacher
• Individuals are highly influential and are a
major determinant of the school culture
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CHARACTERISTICS OF SCHOOL CULTURE
1. Pedagogical goals
2. Learning process
3. Standard practices
4. Autonomous teachers
5. Mechanistic organization
6. No incentive for collegial work
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STRATEGIES FOR CHANGING SCHOOL CULTURE
• Schools should consider that they are units of change;
responsible to themselves
• Sense of belonging and ownership; they must motivate
and be involved in the changing process
• What is best for a school is what is best in the eyes of its
teachers; they are the ones who are responsible for the
learning outcomes
• Consider that the changing process is a learning process; a
learning culture must exist in the society
• Schools should have an open system; change in one
aspect will affect others
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