This study arose out of an experience with an amalgamation of two high
schools in the ACT in the early 1990s. The amalgamation process took two and
a half years from the time the decision was made to close one of the schools
until the new school was consolidated on one site. The change processes
impacted on many areas of teachers' work and this, combined with the
emotional aspects of being in a school which was closing, flagged teacher
morale as an issue requiring attention.
The study involved seeking responses to a questionnaire and interviewing
teachers involved in the amalgamation. The interview data was then grouped
by issue and the responses from teachers analysed and compared with related
research literature.
Research indicated that leadership style and effectiveness impacts most
heavily on the morale of teachers undergoing major change such as school
closure/amalgamation. This was substantiated by this study. The decision, by
the principal, to close both schools and create a new school, retaining aspects
of the culture of the original schools was clearly favoured over the alternative
suggestion, by the ACT Government, of the swift closure method and the
absorption of students into an existing school. The outward signs of a new
school; name; logo; uniform; the involvement of the community, the degree of
shared decision-making, the refurbishment of the buildings, the new curriculum
and associated policies and the management of resources were found to
contribute positively to teacher morale.
A lack of consultation prior to announcing the closure decision, a failure to
acknowledge the need of some teachers to grieve for the loss of their school
and a lack of activities to mark the final days of the schools involved have been
identified as having the greatest negative effect on teacher morale in this study.
Maintenance and effective use of the buildings vacated by a closing school has
also been raised as an issue affecting the morale of the teachers from that
school.
This study has implications for future school closures or amalgamations from
the points of view of maintaining of the morale of teachers, and also that of
students
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219250 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Paul, Anne, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Anne Paul |
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