Abstract
While mission statements (MSs) are included in schools often due to governing policy, evidence suggests they remain underutilized by leaders. Scant research is undertaken with regard to school mission statements and how these affects daily practice. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the extent to which school MSs influence daily practice, as well as professional development for school leaders and teachers. This study draws upon interviews with six individuals who lead or teach at two different international schools. The findings provide valuable insight into how MSs are experienced by leaders and teachers. The paper concludes with a discussion around the potential implications for policy makers and school leaders who wish to shape school culture and professional development.
Highlights
While the schools were polarized in structure and culture, every participant in this study (Table 1) held at least 12 years of teaching experience, allowing them to provide rich information to interpret the mission statements (MSs) in the context of their school culture and professional development
A total of 269 significant statements were identified from the six transcripts
It is not the intention of this analysis to make a comparison between the two; the reader should be cognizant that one school (School B) had clear organizational identity, MS awareness, and a professional development strategy
Summary
Giving schools meaning and direction, vision and mission statements (MSs) serve to unify stakeholders in achieving student growth through learning. A growing body of literature suggests a missing link between theory and practice, or vision and reality (Gurley, Peters, Collins & Fifolt, 2015), which raises considerable implications for policy makers and education leaders, as accountability rockets while budgets plunge. To seal this fissure, teachers must incorporate continuous professional learning in the school mission, by reflecting, collaborating, researching and problem-solving. Leaders must clearly support and articulate MSs to encourage continuous learning for both students and teachers, while being cognizant of fiscal resources
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