The purpose of this study was to examine one middle school's school improvement efforts over an eight year period of time (1986-94). This study builds on an earlier one in which I examined the factors that impacted my personal change as a teacher (Eubanks, 1992). As a participant in the everyday culture being examined, I continued that study with a more broad focus during the next two years. An emphasis on the school culture and the players that impacted it permeates this paper. / Of the seventeen participants in the study, fourteen were mathematics and/or science teachers at the school. The principal and two former assistant principals also participated in the research. Data were collected through personal interviews and by document analysis. At the close of each interview, the participants suggested other individuals who they thought had contradictory opinions. These individuals were also interviewed to provide contrasting points of view. / After transcribing and analyzing each interview, preliminary findings were shared with the participant in the interview for further comments or suggestions. Similarly, during the writing stage for this paper, four participants in the culture critiqued chapter drafts and made suggestions for improvement or clarification. Additionally, a reader from outside the school culture also read and critiqued early drafts. / During the interviews, the principal used two metaphors to describe the school as it attempted change: the king and his court, and the commander and the crew. He believed that each of these metaphors represented a chronological time period during which the principal saw himself using a certain leadership style. Accordingly, these metaphors are explored separately, then contrasted later to reveal their different foci. / Four elements of school culture identified through this study are used to frame the data presented. Leadership opportunities, professionalism, communication, and power are examined individually from the principal's perspective and teachers' perspective. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-02, Section: A, page: 0504. / Directors: Nancy T. Davis; Kenneth L. Shaw. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1994.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77354 |
| Contributors | Eubanks, Barbara Gates., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 265 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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