Impact Of School Culture Research Articles

The impact of school culture and leadership on new teachers' learning in the workplace

Drawing upon empirical data, this article explores the ways in which school culture and leadership impact on new teachers' learning in the workplace. The study was carried out over a two‐year period and involved a cohort of 14 new teachers and 18 elementary and secondary schools. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews with the new teachers and headteachers and a questionnaire which was also administered to all staff in each of the schools. Findings suggest the key role of school culture and leadership in (re)shaping teachers' response to the institutional and situational constraints of the workplace and their learning and socialization process at school. Implications for induction and the role of schools in fostering teacher professional growth are discussed.

Impact of School Culture on Effectiveness of Secondary Schools With Disadvantaged Students

ABSTRACT Cultural differences between effective secondary schools and average secondary schools were investigated in terms of student participation in school affairs, teamwork, adaptation to school customers' demands, orderliness, continuous school improvement, and emphasis on academic achievement All the schools were populated primarily by disadvantaged students. The sample included 20 secondary schools in development towns in Israel—10 effective secondary schools (5 religious state schools and 5 nonreligious state schools) and 10 average secondary schools (5 religious state schools and 5 nonreligious state schools). The full-time teachers of the 20 schools involved were asked to complete a Perceived School Culture Inventory, and 66% returned questionnaires (N = 724). The results revealed that schools vary in their cultural dimensions, and this variation correlates with differences in student achievement.