Implications from the Diagnosis of a School Culture at a Higher Education Institution

Abstract

Probing into the school culture is the first step for the enhancement of the effectiveness of any school. Conducted in an English-medium private university in Turkey, this study aims at exploring teachers’ perceptions of existing school culture to provide enriched and contemporary understandings of that culture, as well as making implications regarding understanding and improving school culture. Quantitative data was collected using the School Culture Survey (SCS) developed by Gruenert and Valentine, and the School Culture Triage, developed by Wagner and Masden-Copas; and qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with a sample group of teachers from the school. The results suggest that three dominant aspects of the culture of the school studied are collegial support and collaboration, collaborative leadership and unity of purpose. The outcomes of this research study facilitate a ‘personal critique’ for the given school, and implications can be extended to institutions operating in similar settings

Keywords

• School culture
• perceptions
• higher education
• school improvement

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