The School as a cultural institution

"As an educator,one should be knowledgeable not only on the content or what to teach and the
pedagogy or how to teach but also the culture or where to teach."

Definition of Culture

Edward Tyler, A well-known anthropologist define culture as a complex whole which include
knowledge, belief,arts,morals,law,costom,and any other capabilities and habits aquired by man as a
member of society.

Deal and Peterson (2002) claimed that the term culture best denotes the complex elements of
values,traditions,language, and purpose in given setting. Moreover,Wincek (1995) further stated that
culture is comprise of intertwining of assumption,values,beliefs from which a group's norms,practices,
rituals ,etc.

Elements of Culture

•Symbol

•Norms

•Traditions

•Values

•Language

Definition of School Culture

The term school culture generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes, and written
and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions, but the term also
encompasses more concrete issues such as the physical and emotional safety of students, the
orderliness of classrooms and public spaces, or the degree to which a school embraces and celebrates
racial, ethnic, linguistic, or cultural diversity.

Other Cultures in School

In every school there are several cultures existing.Pupil cultures,teacher cultures,leadership

cultures,non-teaching staff culture,and even parent cultures do exist.All stakeholders in a school
including student,parents, teachers,staff members and school administrators experience culture but
among the different cultures existing in a school,teacher cultures have recieved most attention in
relation to schools improvement.

Hargreaves(1994) highlights the four existing teaching cultures :

1.Indivudualism -refers to classrooms as " eggcrates " or " castles ".Autonomy isolation and insulation
prevail, and blame and support are avoided.

2.Collaboration - refers to the teachers who choose spontaneously and voluntarily, to work together
without external control agenda.

3.Comtrived Collegialty - refers to the teacher's collaborative working relationship which are compulsory
imposed, with fixed and times and places set for collaboration.

4.Balkanization - refers to teachers who are neither isolated nor work as a whole school.Smaller
collaborative group form.

Becoming familiar with the culture of a particular school takes time.Some tangible things that may give
an initial indication unclude the following ;

—SCHOOL STATEMENT PURPOSE

—SCHOOL MANAGEMENT PLAN

—SCHOOL POLICIES SUCH AS STUDENT WELFARE POLICY

—SCHOOL'S PROSPECTUS

—SCHOOL'S MOTTO

—INTERACTION BETWEEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

TYPOLOGY OF SCHOOLS CULTURE

Stoll and Fink (1996) Develop a model in determining a school culture.They focused on school's current
effectiveness, but also argue that the rapidly accelerating space of change make standing still impossible
and therefore schools are either getting better or getting worse.

1.Moving refers on the following;

—Boosting pupil's progress and development

—Working together and respond to changing context

—know where they are going and having the will and skill to get there

— Possess norms of including schools

2.Cruising focuses on the following ;

—Appear to be effective

—Usually in more affluent areas

—Pupils achieve in spite of teaching quality

—Not preparing pupils to change world

— Possess powerful norms that inhibit change

3.Strolling highlights the following ;

—Neither particularly effective nor ineffective

—Moving at inadequate rate to cope with pace of change

—Meandering into future to pupil's detriment

4. Struggling centers the following ;

— Ineffective and they know it

—Expejd considerable energy to improve

—Unproductive "trashing about"

—Will ultimately succeed because have the will if not the skill

—Often identified as "failing",which is demotivational

5.Sinking refers on the following ;

— Ineffective:norms of isolation,blame ,self reliance,and loss of faith powerfully inhibit improvment.

—Staff unable to change

—Often in deprived areas where they blame parenting or umprepared children

—Need dramatic action and significant support

School Mission , Vision ,and Values

The foundation of school culture's elements lay at the mission vision of the school.Underlying the
mission vision statements are the values the schools holds which determines what philosophies and
standards the individuals will assimilate and incorporate into his/her everyday teaching and learning
(Rhodes,Stevens and Hemming's 2011)

Every school crafts their mission and vision statements to draw the direction of the institution . The
mission vision mirror what the school wishes and hopes to eventually become and accomplish
(Peterson &Deal,2009).Even though these are called statement they are embodied by all of the
values,beliefs, norms, assumption that the school holds (Confeld,2016)