CHAPTER 1

THE SCHOOL AS
AN AGENT OF
SOCIAL CHANGE
GROUP 1
BSED 2- ENGLISH
 CHAPTER 1: THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

This chapter focuses on the role of the school as

an agent of social change. It explores significant
literatures and theories in understanding the
significant role of the school in imparting positive
social transformation. The chapter includes
activities that will provide us with good insights and
perspectives on the role of the school as an agent
of social change. It allows us to critically reflect on
relevant practices and issues of teachers.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

The objectives of this chapter are the following:

• discuss how the school can serve as an agent of

change;
• discuss how teachers, students, administrators
and other personnel could contribute in affecting
positive social change in the society; and
• observe how innovative schools serve as agents of
social change.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Introduction

Schools play an important role in the development of

individuals and societies. Schools are vital sources of
knowledge and innovations, they are contributors to
economic development, they are agents of social and
cultural development, and they are warehouses of
information. Schools also develop the manpower needs of
the society developing the necessary skills, values, and
knowledge needed in everyday life particularly in the
industry.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Furthermore, schools are national and regional symbols serving as

repository of the people's history and culture. In a nutshell, a school
is a dynamic social organization that develops every learner for
various social roles. It is influenced by a system anchored on a
philosophy, mission, and vision.

School as an organization - it has its own system of governance

influenced by a fixed organizational structure or bureaucracy. In basic
education, the Department of Education determines the
bureaucratic structure of schools from national, regional, division,
district, and the local school level.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

At the national level, the DepEd Secretary acts as the head of the whole
bureaucracy supported by Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries. The
Central Office is composed of 4 Bureaus namely
(1) Bureau of Curriculum,
(2) Bureau of Learning Delivery,
(3) Bureau of Learning Resources, and
(4) Bureau of Educational Assessment.
The Regional Offices are headed by Regional Directors supported different
education supervisors. The Division Offices are headed by the Superintendent
and also supported by educational supervisors. The District Offices are headed by
the District Supervisor and supported by educational supervisors. Lastly, at the
school level, the principal serves as the chief administrative and academic officer
of the school. Master teachers and classroom teachers support the principal in
accomplishing various tasks.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

School as a learning organization - its main function is to

help learners to learn and develop knowledge, skills, and
values essential for every individual. Its main function is to
implement the curriculum prescribed by the Department of
Education. Guided by the different principles and theories of
teaching and learning, the school carries this function by
helping to mold the minds and character of students.
Students in school with the help of teachers develop much
knowledge and skills.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

School as a community - it is composed of teachers, administrators,

students, staff, and other stakeholders united in one purpose and guided by
common values and culture. As a community, the school is guided by the
following essential elements:

Vision - a sense of direction of what the school hopes to accomplish for

itself, for the people, and for the society;
Values - provides a framework for organizational culture and behavior of
the entire school;
Leadership - provides administrative and management support for the day-
to-day activities and functions of the school; and
Culture - pertains to shared values and behaviors of students, teachers,
staff, and administration.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

The school as a social organization aims to respond

to the different changes and challenges in the
society brought by different social and natural
forces. It plays an important role in shaping the
future of the society it belongs. The schools' working
mechanism has a strong effect not only on the
delivery of quality education but also on the
development of human resources needed by the
society.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Activity 1 : Identify a successful school. Find out

what are the contributions of that school in the
community. Write your findings in the space
provided.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

School as a Social Organization

Schools are important organizations that prepare young children of

their future roles as productive citizens in the country. The way
schools fulfill this function has a strong effect on the quality of
education they provide. There are several theories that try to
explain the nature of the school organizations. The systems theory is
best to explain the nature of schools as a social organization. Under
the systems theory, it is best to examine some of the characteristics
of schools including structure, culture, climate, leadership, decision-
making, and the relationships among personnel (Bozkus, 2014).
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Structure: As social systems, schools' structures

have characteristics of rational, natural, and open
systems. They have hierarchies of authority,
goals, and role expectations similar to
bureaucratic organizations. Individual needs
affect employee behavior, organizational goals
are not firm, informal organizations derive from
interactions among individuals, and schools
(Bozkus, 2014).
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

A school is structured in a seamless bureaucracy

that includes positions and offices based on the
type of programs and services offered by the school.
The size or the population of the school also
determines the structure of the school. Not only
that the school is an integral part of the bigger
education system from district, division, region, and
national level. The line of authorities responsibilities
are clearly defined.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

This bureaucratic structure of the school ha redescendonuch

criticism from the public especially among the teachers and local
school administrators. There was a clamor for empowering
teachers and dicipals in making classroom based and school-
based decisions. There is a need to strengthen their positions in
soliciting public support for their schools. They need to develop
innovative programs that are truly relevant and responsive to the
context of the school School principals need more freedom to
make decisions concerning their schools, and teachers need to be
empowered to make instructional innovations and decisions
concerning their classes and students.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Culture and Climate: School culture is preserved and

transferred to new members by the socialization process
(Kowalski, 2010). New teachers leam shared values, beliefs,
and norms when they interact and build relationships with
their colleagues. The school culture is influenced by the
philosophy and core values of the school. It is also
continuously shaped by the culture of every individual
members of the school. Private schools especially sectarian
schools are famous for their ability to sustain their
institutional norms and culture especially among students.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Norms are influential in shaping students' character and

values system. Often times, the norms or school culture
create a sense of place among students. School has
become not only a place for learning but also a home for
them. Much of who they are as a person including their
views on various issues are influenced by the hidden
curriculum they got from the school. The institutional
culture is the thread that binds all teachers, students,
staff, and alumni. It is their identity as a school.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Climate on the other hand represents an organization's

distinguishing characteristics, feelings, and behavior that
can be presented with a framework which consists of four
elements: (1) physical frame is the physical factors of a
school like equipment, classrooms; (2) social frame is the
social factor; (3) environment mostly related to social
behavior of individuals within a school; and (4) structural
frame represents factors such as hierarchy, authority,
role, and symbolic frame is the parts of culture like
believes, norms, values (Kowalski, 2010)
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Leadership and Decision Making: In social

systems of schools an important aspect of
leadership is the quality and systematic
effects of functions and behaviors of
principals as leaders (Bozkus, 2014).
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

The Governance of Basic Education Act provided a way to enhance

the system of leadership and decision making process in the school.
Currently, principals are now the local executives in their schools.
They help to develop the vision and plans for improving the school
and for helping students improve their scholastic performance.
Annually, the schools are mandated to submit their annual school
improvement plan (SIP), which serves as the basis for their budget
and for evaluating their performance. Likewise, the teachers are
now empowered to develop innovations that will improve students'
achievement and performance.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Relationships: Social organizations like schools are

stemmed from interaction among people both
within and outside of the organization. Relationships
within school building and with the community are
essential elements of socialization and have a
significant impact on many vital processes (Bozkus,
2014).
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Activity 2: Identify the school traditions

as well as the culture in your college or
university.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Social Change and its Effect in the Educational System

Social change is a broad term and every society develops

and evolves in a unique way as influenced by various
social factors and events. Change is always happening in
every aspect of the society and it is inevitable. The
physical features of the society are always changing as a
result of economic developments. Human relationships
and Interactions and cultures also have changed as a
result of various social forces and events.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Many can observe that with the influence of technology and

advancements in science, we expen more change to happen in the
coming years. The future remains unpredictable due to these social
change forces.

In general, sociologists define social change as changes in the

human interactions and relationships that transform cultural and
social transformation. These changes over time and often have
profound and long-term effects for the society. The Fina Institutions
2025 Risk Index identified six megatrends that continues to shape
and influences our society.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

• Digitalization and technological

advances- Technological advancement
is impacting the finance industry as
new challengers are emerging and
growing customer expectations drives
significant IT infrastructure investment.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

• Demographic and behavioral changes - The

changing demographics, geographical, and
behavioral profile of customers are forcing
financial institutions to deal with divergent
customer expectations, and new customer
bases and workforces.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

• Global talent and skills race - Talent

capable of navigating a rapidly evolving
financial landscape will be required to
respond to increasing regulatory pressures,
a changing approach to risk management
and the emergence of new markets.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

• Business Operating Model pressures-

Regulation and the increasing cost of capital
is exerting pressure on business operating
structures, driving segmentation, and
disintermediation in the financial sector.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

• Regulatory changes and complexity-

Regulatory pressures arising from the
financial crisis have increased the cost of
capital, prompted large-scale divestment,
reshaped attitudes toward risk, and redrawn
the boundary between retail and wholesale
banking.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

• Changes in investment, capital sources and

returns- Non-bank financial institutions,
fintech companies, and new investors are
bringing fresh capital Into the sector while
banks meet capital requirements, manage
stress tests, and spend on compliance
upgrades.
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

These social changes, among others, demands that all

educational institutions at any must not only respond to
these changes but they must also evolve and be
changed

1. New ways of teaching and must be developed and

introduced

2. Instruction must focus on the holistic development of

every learners
 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

3. Technology must be utilized to improve access to

quality education

4. Curriculum must be progressive and innovative

5. Alternative learning system must be harnessed 5-

6. New literacies and skills must be developed

 CHAPTER 1 THE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL CHANGE

7. Teachers must be equipped with high level of technological, pedagogical, content

knowledge (TPCK)

8. Classrooms must be equipped with technology

9. New subjects and courses must be developed to respond to the needs of the
society

10. Old disciplines must evolve to embrace new research and developments in the
field

11. Critical thinking, creativity, and innovation must be developed among students

12. Industry-school partnerships must be developed