This study examines the articulated vision of a new Catholic primary school in
order to describe and assess its developing organisational culture. The following
questions provide the major focus of the study: I How and to what extent does
the Vision Statement describe the developing Catholic school culture at St Clare of Assisi Primary School? 2. What are the common beliefs and values underlying
the Vision Statement at St Clare of Assisi Primary School?
A review of the literature reveals that many educational researchers stress the
importance of schools developing a strong, coordinated, cohesive and positive
culture. The need for this culture to be based on a clearly articulated vision,
embodying shared values and beliefs is also indicated and this provides the
rationale for the study.
A number of frameworks for school culture are examined and adapted to develop
a conceptual framework for the study. The resulting Model for Developing
Catholic School Culture provides a structure which enables collected data to be
sorted and analysed, so that the research questions can be addressed.
This study utilises the methodology of ethnographic research. Data collection
strategies include participant observation, interviews, surveys, and other sources
including school records and documents, photographs, artefacts and memorabilia.
The findings are organised under five headings, each of which represents a belief
articulated in the school's Vision Statement. These beliefs are examined to see
how they are enacted verbally, visually and behaviourally by the school
community Conclusions are drawn as to the relevance of the Vision Statement to
the school community Other significant values and beliefs evident from an
examination of the data are also identified
The study concludes that the Vision Statement effectively describes the developing
culture of the school for there is congruence between its beliefs and actions.
What emerges of particular significance from this study is the importance of a
school community articulating a shared vision. A school's Vision Statement serves
a dual purpose It is the filter which allows the shared beliefs and values of the
school community to be articulated, while at the same time serving as a scaffold
for checking if these shared beliefs and values are being enacted by the
community.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/218893 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | Doszpot, Maureen, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Professional & Community Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Maureen Doszpot |
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