Alfred Cedrix D.

Bornel
BEED2

ACTIVITY NO. 1 (TCSOL)

Research problem: School Culture and Its Relationship with Teacher

Leadership

Research Questions/Objectives:
1. What is the relationship between school culture and teacher leadership?

2. What is the dominant school culture dimensions?

3. What are the widely practiced teacher leadership features?

Methodology
This study uses a quantitative correlation approach. The relationship between the variables is

determined by the correlation coefficient. In this study, the effect of which was claimed by the

independent variable is school culture against the dependent variable that is teacher leadership

(Hamidah, Jamal, & Khalip, 2014). Population of this study consists of teachers who are serving

in 22 primary schools. Even though a total number of 383 teachers are serving in those 22

schools, but only 194 teachers were selected as respondents of the study by using simple

random sampling.

A set of questionnaires was used as instrument of this study. In order to measure the

school culture, the questionnaire on ‘School Culture Survey’ that was built by Edward et al.

(1996) is modified and used in the study. Whereas, the questionnaire of ‘Teacher Leadership

Model’ was used to measure the teacher leadership. The questionnaire was developed by

Hamidah et al. (2014). There are six principles in this questionnaire and each one of the

principles measure values, skills and knowledge of teachers on teacher leadership. The

principles in this study are encourage teaching and learning improvement, attributes and

leadership skills, develop organisation, collaboration culture, cooperation with community and

parents and being referenced leader. The five-point Likert scale (1= Strongly Disagree, 2=
Disagree, 3= Slightly Disagree, 4=Agree and 5= Strongly Agree) was used to measure school

culture and also teacher leadership.

Findings:

This study involved 104 male teachers (53.6%) and 90 female teachers (46.4%). A total of 164

teachers (84.6%) are also graduates of Bachelor and Master’s Degree. The level of school

culture is high (mean= 4.05). The domain of teacher’s professionalism and goal setting are also

high (mean= 4.41). Whereas, teachers’ collaboration (mean= 3.13) and administrators’

professional services (mean= 3.09) are moderate (Table 1).

The relationship between the school culture and teacher leadership is strong, positive and

significant (r=.781; Table 4). Overall the domains of school culture showed a strong, positive

and significant relationship with teacher leadership that are Teachers’ Professionalism and Goal

Setting (r=0.799) as well as Administrators’ Professional Services (r=0.707). However, the

domain of collaboration is only has a moderate relationship with teacher leadership (r=0.575).

Four elements of teacher leadership have a very strong, positive and significant

relationship with school culture that are Organisation Development (r=0.755), Cooperation

Network with Community and Parents (r=0.715), Attribute and Leadership Skills (r=0.706) and

Encourage Teaching and Learning Improvement (r=0.704). Whereas, two other elements

showed a moderate strong relationship that are Collaboration Culture (r=0.691) and Being

Referenced Leader (r=0.546).

Conclusions:
The respondents of the study indicated that 164 (84.6%) of them are Bachelor and Master’s

Degree holders. The graduate teachers are seen to have competence to perform their duties as

teacher with calibre. This contributes to the findings that school culture of Teachers’

Professionalism and Goal Setting are most widely practice in primary schools. Trainings and

courses that they have received allow them to act systematically and professionally in the

classroom and school. This is in line with Hinde’s (2004) opinion who stated that the teachers

are responsible for training and professional development in order to improve the quality of
teaching and learning. In addition, there are many programmes to increase professionalism

among the teachers conducted by Ministry of Education. Among the programmes are pedagogy

and content enhancement courses of Primary School Curriculum Standard, online courses such

as I-Think and the creation of new posts such as School Improvement Specialist Coaches (SISC+)

that assist teachers teaching and learning.

The findings of school culture domain, teachers’ collaboration showed that with the

increasing of teachers’ professionalism, the culture of working together built-in among

teachers. Professional teachers will be open-minded and able to interact with other teachers in

order to solve problems and plan together in building educational goals in school (Harris et al.,

2013). Programmes like Professional Learning Community (PLC) which organise by SISC+

provide opportunities for the teachers to sit together to discuss various matters related to

education issues. In addition, other programmes such as in-service trainings, Dialogue

Performances, Staff Meetings, Curriculum Meetings, Student Affair Meetings, Curricular

Meetings, Finance Meetings, PTA Meetings and other various programmes can be used as a

medium for teachers to work together and cooperate to improve the quality of education.

As the result of school administrators’ and district education officers’ planning,

programmes and activities to increase teacher’s professionalism and collaboration are widely

conducted in the school. This led the domain of school culture on School Administrators’

Professional Services be the lowest. This may happen because the teachers feel pressured by

too much of various commands and programmes that involving them. Furthermore, the

constantly changing education policies cause the administrators act decisively to enable the

policies implemented in the school. However, this burdens the teachers with a variety of

fundamental duties to carry out teaching and learning. Moe et al. (2010) stated that pressure

and high expectations of administrators towards teachers make teachers feel uncomfortable

and depressed when performing their duties.

Being referenced leader is the highest teacher leadership element among the teachers.

This shows that the teachers are able and willing to go beyond their duties, understand the

impact that can be given in their expert fields and show a high standard of ethics. According to

Nur Hafizoh and Rohana’s (2012) study, the teachers should have leadership skills to show their
high level of passion and commitment that can be an example and reference for colleagues,

parents, students and community.

Teachers’ Attribute and Leadership Skills principle is also high. The trainings that have

received and the knowledge they have learned from experiences allow the teachers to build

their features and qualities of a leader. At the same time, teachers should be able to assess the

students’ ability, allowing an ideal environment which is conducive for teaching and learning

activities and have appropriate instructional strategies (Schleicher, 2012).

Cooperation with Community and Parents is also high. The findings indicate that the

teachers indeed cooperate with the stakeholders such as parents, local communities and even

with relevant agencies. This network allows the teachers to obtain trust and confidence from

external parties thus enable them act autonomously in teaching and learning (Ghani, 2013). In

addition, through this network and communication, teachers are given the opportunities to

understand the cultural diversities, sharing ideas about education with outsiders and always

take initiative to get to know the development in the world of education (Jackson et al., 2010).

Encourage Teaching and Learning Improvement principle which is also high shows that

the teachers have sought to strengthen their knowledge in pedagogy and curriculum to

enhance teaching and learning, relearn the aspects such as theories and skills of classroom

managements as well as improve the leadership practices and actions. This can be done by the

teachers through collaboration and networking activities that have been carried out. Range of

knowledge, experience and opinions can be shared and learned by the teachers through these

activities, thus promoting knowledge in the education field (Neumann et al., 2012).

Organisation Development of teachers is also high. It shows that teachers are involving

directly and indirectly in the organisational development through school’s administration and

management processes. Through the curriculum committee, the students’ affairs and cocurricular that
participated by teachers in the school, range of activities and meetings are

conducted such as Staffs’ Meetings, Academic Meetings, Financial Meetings, Co-curricular

Meetings and other activities which become a platform for the teachers to voice out their

opinions and determining the results. This also allows the school management to be more

effective and able to advance the school to achieve the education goals (Angelle et al., 2011).
The school culture which is high also indicates that the teachers can work in a mutually

supportive group in developing the aspects of education and learning. The programmes such as

PLC really need teachers’ support to make it success, even though they are out of teachers’

main task that is teaching. At the same time, this programme has proven that has an impact on

teachers and also provides opportunities for them to work with mentors, associate relevant

policies in education programmes as well as sharing information and ideas to be used as the

best practices (Ghani, 2013)

Recommendation:
This study can be expanded not only in 22 schools but throughout the country. This is to

enable in-depth the knowledge the school culture and teacher leadership and also can

generalise the study to a larger location. Further studies can be done to examine the factors

that can affect school culture and teacher leadership. There are various factors that can affect

school culture and teacher leadership, such as headmaster’s leadership style, the location of

the school, local community’s culture and beliefs and also morals and behaviours of the

students. A comprehensive review of the factors enables the authorities to take necessary steps

either to change and study the factors that hinder and retard the conducive school culture and

teacher leadership.

In addition, further research should be conducted to assess the effect of teacher

leadership on students’ achievements. The implementation of School-based Assessment for

Primary School) has certainly changed the school system as a whole. Since the knowledge in

implementing PBS and KSSR which are still considered new and less experience among the

teachers cause them to use many new methods and experiments in implementing the policies.

This matter needs to be studied and emphasized to address the problems that arise when

implementing PBS and KSSR thus enhance the students' academic achievements.
ACTIVITY NO. 2
PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT ON EDUCATION

1.) Explain in a sentence why the following education philosophers were associated with the given
words :

a.) JOHN LOCKE ( 1632 - 1704) - because he believed that knowledge was founded in empirical
observation and experience.
b.) JOHN DEWEY ( 1859 - 1952 ) - because  “Experience” is the key concept in John Dewey's
philosophy. 
c.) GEORGE COUNTS ( 1889 - 1974 ) – Because Dare the School Build a New Social Order? is a
collection of speeches by educator George S. Counts on the role and limits of progressive
education. 
2.) Make a summary table of the educational philosophies .

Philosopher Philosophy Application

1. John Locke Empirisim The teacher should understand
The purpose of education was his learners. Understanding why
to produce an individual with a students are behaving in a
sound mind in a sound body so particular way, teachers would
as to better serve his country. also be able to know how
Locke thought that the content students perceive their actions.
of education to depend upon
one person life.
2. Herbert Spencer utilitarianism Involving of science curriculum,
The great aim of education is because we all know the great
not knowledge, but action. He contribution of science in our
advocated the automatic nation building. Make an
learning based on students and experimentation in the class
emphasized the role of interest particular in the science subject.
in the process of teaching,
3. John Dewey Learning through experience The teacher make sure to
Learning must be experienced improve student experience in
or doing. Reality must be the classroom and build
experienced. The school should personal interest in subject
be organized in such a way that matter. Engaging them in the
the activities of the outer world activities in performance where
are reflected. they learn.
4. George Counts Building new social order The teacher used school to
He wanted teachers to go critiquing and transforming the
beyond abstract, philosophical social order. The teacher has a
conceptions of democracy and great role in making important
teach explicitly about power decision in social issues.
 and injustice. He wanted
teachers and students to count
among their primary goals the
building of a better social order.
5. Theodore Brameld Social reconstructionism Awaken the students minds on
He focus on a curriculum that the addressing the social issues
emphasizes social reform as the to create better society.
aim of education. He believed Because the teaching and
the creation of a new social learning is a process of inquiry
order through education where the learners invent and
reinvent the world through of
enlightenment made by their
teachers. Involving social issues
on the class discussions, so that
students become aware in their
surroundings.
6. Paulo Freire Critical pedagogy The teacher should educated so
For him the aims of education is that it encourage his learners to
to liberate people. In order to think critically , telling them
achieve this aim, he offers their opportunities for
problem-posing education. combating oppression in the
According to this method, community to become a voice
designed as an alternative to in their society.
traditional education models,
education should not be
provided through one-sided
imposition by teachers.
ACTIVITY NO. 3
HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
1. State the relationship of society and schools.
The relationship between society and school, the society is the reflection of school and the school is the
reflection of society. The good society is the product of good educational system and the good
educational system is the product of good society. Society is the place where the people living and the
school is an institution for educating the children. School is part of the society and society is a part of
School. School cannot decide on his own he need a participation of the members of the society in thios
way it takes the whole village to raise the child. In the school came from the good workers that are need
in our society to have a good society

2. Of the developments in Philippine education in the post - colonial period, which to you is most
important?
Having Education system brought by Americans because it helps us to become aware not to be
ignorance and to speak English language as a international language today, so we can compete to other
country, and survive in the globalization era, where our world become small because of modern
technologies. Involving English subjects in our curriculum it helps us to know other language not only
our own language, so it helps us to improve our selves in terms of communications with other people

3. Life skills were taught to primitive society. Are these life skills for primitive society the same as
the life for the 21st. Century ? Explain your answer.
Primitive life skills are more focused on the searching for food and how to survive while the 21stcentury
skills there are 4c which are Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity. There are
similarities, because, before primitive people there need a communication and collaboration for finding
the food and they think critically on how to catch animals to become their food and how to build a home
where there are plenty of food. I say both of these life skills are become useful in our daily lives, because
it teach us and help us to become intelligent in our surroundings not only for finding for foods but also
for able to adapt in our challenging surroundings
4. What is meant by socialization as a function of school?
The meaning of socialization as a function of school, school has a responsibility in transmitting the
culture, roles in the children, school is the second agent of socialization next to the family. We learn in
the school to become mature individual to be independent in making decision that we could perform
our social role later in our life.