Abstract
This study aims to determine the relationships between enabling school structure, teachers' social network intentions and the professional learning community. This study used a structural equation modelling approach to investigate the relationships and implemented the appropriate sampling method. Survey data were obtained from 302 teachers working in the capital city of Turkey. Results show that teachers' perceptions of enabling school structure and social networking intentions among their colleagues are high, and their evaluations of forming a professional learning community are relatively low. When we examined the relationships between variables, we found a positive and moderate relationship between the enabling school structure and teachers' social network intentions; a positive and high relationship between the enabling school structure and the professional learning community. However, a positive but low level of a significant relationship is found between teachers' social network intentions and the professional learning community. Another significant result of the study is that the social network intentions of teachers increase with the enabling school structure. With the increase in social network intentions, the tendency to form a professional learning community also increases. Some suggestions were made for researchers and school communities in the research, both on becoming professional learners and creating better social networks.
Highlights
There have been significant numbers of studies suggesting that the bureaucratic structure of the school is related to several critical organisational factors, such as creativity, job satisfaction, motivation, conflict, school climate, organisational trust and leadership (Adler & Borys, 1996; Buluc, 2010; Geist, 2002; Hoy & Sweetland, 2001; Jacob, 2004; Mcvey, 2009)
The findings of the path analysis conducted to test the relationships between the enabling school structure, teachers’ social network intentions and the assessment of the professional learning community were included
According to the perceptions of the teachers, the highest point is given to the 11th item of the enabling school structure scale “In this school, the authority of the principal is used to undermine teachers”, and the fewer point is given to the 2nd item “Bureaucratic formalities is a problem in this school.”
Summary
There have been significant numbers of studies suggesting that the bureaucratic structure of the school is related to several critical organisational factors, such as creativity, job satisfaction, motivation, conflict, school climate, organisational trust and leadership (Adler & Borys, 1996; Buluc, 2010; Geist, 2002; Hoy & Sweetland, 2001; Jacob, 2004; Mcvey, 2009). Much organisational research focuses on the negative aspects of the bureaucratic organisational structure. There are claims that bureaucratic organisation suppresses creativity, increases dissatisfaction and lowers employee motivation (Adler & Borys, 1996). Hoy and Sweetland (2001) stated that bureaucratic structures might have harmful aspects, but only half the picture. According to Gonullu’s (2009) research, the communication and interaction skills of the teachers decrease when the use of hierarchical authority increases and teacher competence increases as the facilitating bureaucratisation increases
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