Unit 2 - Other Cultures in a School

Question 1

In every school, there are several ______ existing.

Answer 1

cultures

Question 2

What kinds of cultures exist in every school?

Answer 2

Pupil cultures
Teacher cultures
Leadership cultures
Non-teaching staff cultures
Parent cultures

Question 3

All _____ in a school, including students, parents, teachers, staff members, and school administrators, experience school culture.

Answer 3

stakeholders

Question 4

But among the different cultures existing in a school, _____ have received the most attention in relation to school improvement.

Answer 4

teacher cultures

Question 5

Hargreaves (1994) highlights how many existing teaching cultures?

Answer 5

four

Question 6

Enumerate the four existing teaching cultures highlighted by Hargreaves (1994).

Answer 6

1. Individualism
2. Collaboration
3. Contrived collegiality
4. Balkanization

Question 7

This refers to classrooms as “egg-crates” or “castles”. Autonomy, isolation, and insulation prevail, and blame and support are avoided.

Answer 7

Individualism

Question 8

In individualism, classrooms are referred to as what?

Answer 8

“egg-crates” or “castles”

Question 9

In individualism, autonomy, isolation, and insulation prevail. What are avoided?

Answer 9

blame and support

Question 10

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

Answer 10

Collaboration

Question 11

[Collaboration] includes: _____ sharing ideas and materials – and ______, including mutual observation and focused reflective inquiry.

Answer 11

“comfortable” activities; rigorous forms

Question 12

This refers to the teacher’s collaborative working relationships, which are compulsorily imposed, with fixed times and places set for collaboration, for example, planning meetings during preparation time.

Answer 12

Contrived collegiality

Question 13

This refers to the teachers who are neither isolated nor work as a whole school. Smaller collaborative groups form, for example, within secondary school departments, between senior and junior teachers, and class teachers and resource support teachers.

Answer 13

Balkanization

Question 14

What are some tangible things that may give an initial indication according to Starrat (1993)?

Answer 14

School’s statement of purpose
School management plan
School policies such as the student welfare policy
School’s prospectus
School’s motto
Information booklet for casual teachers
Information/induction booklet for newly appointed staff
School newsletter
Interactions between teachers and students

Question 15

Foster and Bates (1984) proposed that influencing school culture could result in positive or negative orientation depending on whose agenda?

Answer 15

the leader’s