ERIC ED343225: School-Based Management and Its Linkage with the Curriculum in an Effective Secondary School.

31 Pages·0.77 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
EA 023 756
ED 343 225
Dimmock, Clive; Wildy, Helen
AUTHOR
School-Based Management and Its Linkage with the
TITLE
Curriculum in an Effective Secondary School.
Jan 92
PUB DATE
31p.; Paper presented at the AnnuaD Meeting of the
NOTE
International Congress for School Effectiveness and
Improvement (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada,
January 2-5, 1992).
Reports - Research/Technical (143) --
PUB TYPE
Speeches/Conference Papers (150)
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Academic Achievement; *Administrator Role; Foreign
DESCRIPTORS
Countries; *School Based Management; *School Policy;
Secondary Education; Secondary Schools; *Teacher
Role
*Australia (Perth)
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
Few studies of school effectiveness focus on
curriculum management in secondary schools, especially schools
situated in supportive socioeconomic environments. (Many studies have
focused on poor, urban, elementary schools.) This paper reports the
first part of a research project designed to investigate the link
between curriculum and management processes in an academically
effective secondary school. The aims of the study were to develop a
conceptual framework, a methodology, and instrumentation to
investigate these linkages. A naturalistic approach was used to
clarify the perceptions, thoughts, and behaviors of principals and
teachers by using a range of data collection methods that would yield
descriptions of practice. Only one secondary school in the Perth
(Western Australia) metropolitan area was selected to allow for an
indepth analysis and the development of a research framework suitable
for future, wider application. Major findings indicate that proactive
curriculum managemert was only exercised on a departmental level.
loose linkage
Although this scho)1 was academically efecti
*Id departments
between departwen'..s and between senior manage
provided little opportunity for schoolwide curriLL-um policies. (24
references) (LAP)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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PAPER FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS FOR
SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS
VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA
JANUARY 2-5, 1992
SCHOOL-BASED MANAGEMENT AND ITS
LINKAGE WITH THE CURRICULUM IN AN
EFFECTIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
Office ot Educational Research and Imptovernent
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORivlATION
lr
CENTER (ERIC)
document has been reproduced tdi
V/Tnie
fl
received from the person or organize'
originating it
O Mino, changes have been made to improve
reproducticn ()wild/
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Points nt view or opinions slated in this docu-
ment do not necessarily rePresenl official
INFORMATH v CENTER (ERIC)."
OERI position or policy
CLIVE DIMMOCK AND HELEN WILDY
THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
9
DCT
PADV 11611 ADI r
ITS LINKAGE WITH
SCHOOL-BASED MANAGEMENT AND
EFFECTIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL
THE CURRICULUM IN AN
Clive Dimmock and Helen Wildy
The University of Western Australia
throughout the Western world
Initiatives to restructure school systems
organisational, administrative and
have so far focussed attention on their
features of these new
governmental configurations. Characteristic
devolution of respoi sibilities to
arrangements - school-based management,
and the creation of school-based
principals, empowerment of teachers,
of parental participation in
decision-making groups and the encouragement
1990).
familiar (Ma len, Ogawa, & Kranz,
school governance - are now
between school and central office are
Shifting patterns of power and control
policy framework,
Typically, the centre provides an explicit
more compiex.
While schools are given more discretion
with system guidelines and targets.
they perform their
of resources and the means by which
over the allocation
performance and ensures their accountability
work, the oftntre monitors their
decision-making
but also to newly empowered school
not only to the centre
groups.
aim to improve the quality
Policy stateme nts underpinning these trends
curriculum reform and a concern for the
of schooling, in terms of both
Development of a national curriculum in
quality of u ghing and learning.
natioral project on the quality of
Australia, for example, is underway and a
in 1991. However, the links between the
teaching and learning was launched
administrative
the new organisational and
outcomes desired and
rarely explicated. The basis on
configurations expected to deliver them, are
remains more an act of faith than coherent
which the connections are made
idence that administrative and managerial
exposition. There is sow-
1990).
impact on the curriculum (Caldwell,
restructuring do not nec
about school
) to argue that discussions
This concern led Be'
practitioners and by academics, had been more
management, both by
than with
and processes of managing,
cot cerned with structures
of those processes can directly
'demonstrating how effective management
3
for
facilitate the processes of teaching and learning' (p.138). Further cause
evidence to show how school management and
concern is the absence of
Indeed,
organisation influences the quality of curriculum provision.
curriculum is
surprisingly little is known about how, and by whom, the
managed in schools.
Studies in the 1980s have shown what principals do to manage the
Leithwood &
curriculum, teaching and k;arning (Ha Binger & Murphy, 1985;
1985; Rowan,
Montgomery, 1982; Murphy, Weil, Ha Ringer and Mitman
of knowledge about
Dwyer, & Bossert, 1982). With the accumulation
had shifted
principals' practices, some researchers, by the end of the 1980s,
towards a concern for
their focus away from principals' behaviours and tasks
linger & Mc Cary, 1990;
their thinking and problem-solving processes (Hal
1989). Despite
Leithwood, Begley, & Cousins, 1990; Leithwood & Stager,
the pivotal role of the
this shift of focus and a body of literature confirming
effectiveness of schools, a
principal in creating and sustaining the academic
few studies have been
number of issues remain to be investigated Firstly,
principal does not act
undertaken of academically effective schools where the
Secondly, few studies have looked at management
as an educational leader.
the contributions of
of the curriculum throughout the school, embracing
what extent do these
deputy principals, senior teachers and teachers. To
leadership of the principal? Thirdly, little
compensate for lack of educational
the
is known about the effects of curriculum and management teams on
quality of curriculum, teaching and learning in schools.
designed to
This paper reports the first part of a research project
the curriculm in
investigate the linkages between management processes and
secondary school. Few studies of school
an academically effective
secondary schools,
effectiveness focus on curriculum management in
environments.
especially schools situated in supportive socio-economic
of the effective
According to Murphy and Hal linger (1987), 'almost all
investigated poor, urban, elementary schools' (p. 181).
st 'lools studies have
framework, a
The aims of this first study were to develop a conceptual
linkages. A future
methodology, and instrumentation to investigate these
and the
phase will examine the linkages between management processes
effectiveness,
cuniculum in schools experiencing different levels of academic
3
and broaden the definition of effectiveness to incorporate the non-academic
work of schools.
It is argued that the level of effectiveness of a particular school is
assc-iated with a critical mix of management variables operating in the school
at the time and that management and curriculum variables interact at whole
school, department and classroom levels. Interaction or linkage also takes
place between the school and its environment. More specifically, it is
Irpothesised that if schools display a high level of effectiveness in terms of
academic performance, thtn they are also likely to display high levels of
proactive management which link with teaching and learning.
Method
An exploratory study using a naturalistic approach was used to develop
investigate the relationships
a conceptual framework and instrumentation to
between management and curriculum. Our objective was to clarify the
perceptions, thoughts and behaviours of principals and teachers by using a
yield thick descriptions of
range of data collection methods which would
practice. One school was selected to allow for in-depth analysis and the
development of a research framework suitable for future wider application.
We do not claim that the findings from this study apply beyond the chosen
school.
Ezamsaatkv
In this study the term 'curriculum management' is equivaknt to Ha Ringer
and Murphy 's (1985) reference to 'instructional management' and 'instructional
It
leadership' and to Sergiovanni's (1984) 'educational leadership'.
reviewing the educational
encompasses planning, developing, monitoring and
allocate
programme of the school to ensure a match with school goals and to
resources appropriately.
The terms 'senior management' and 'senior managers' are used to denote
the principal and two deputy principals: 'administrative team' is used when
these three people operate as a decision making group. 'Senior teachers' means
Department Heads and includes teachers-in-charge: there are two senior teachers
in some of the larger departments. 'Senior staff' refers to the group comprising
5
4
senior teachers. 'Teachers'
the principal and two deputies together with all
Year group coordinators.
covers classroom teachers as well as
connections
'The concept of linkage was developed to investigate the
of linkage were
between management and currkulum. Four dimensions
formal-informal), the
recognised: its characteristics (tight-loose, direct-indirect,
communication employed, and the match
structures involved, the means of
between intenhon and practice.
Sampit.aniattling
school displaying high
*age of this study was to select a
The firs!
school in the Perth
academic effectiveness. A government secondary
the public as a "super
metropolitan area was chosen. This school is regarded by
homogeneous middle
school". It has been established for 20 years and serves a
of its public examination results
class socio-economic catchment area. Analysis
with results from 23
in 10 subjects over a period of three years in comparison
of the perceptions of a cross
similarly structured schools, together with analysis
strengths of the school,
section of people associated with the school of the
Comparisons were also
showed the anecdotal evidence to be well founded.
students at each of the 24
made between the public examination results for
Aptitude Test (ASAT). The
schools and their scores on the Australian Scholastic
student's ability to
ASAT test is a multiple choice test designed to measure a
and infer from a variety of material in the areas of
reason, comprehend, interpret
It is claimed to be
humanities, social sciences, sciences and mathematics.
of differences in the academic abilities of
content free and is used to take account
students from each of the
students across different subjects. The mean score for
their mean score for the public
24 schools on the ASAT test was compared with
by each school
examinalion. An indication of the 'value-added' component
for schools on the
could be gauged by the difference between the mean scores
that the higher the public
ASAT and public examination. It was reasoned
subject profile, the more
examination mean over the ASAT mean across the
selected for this study had the
academically effective the school. The school
differences across subjects between public
most frequently orcurring positive
24 schools. On the basis of this
examination results and ASAT scores of all
displayed a high level of
evidence we concluded that the sample school
effectiveness in terms of acadzmic performance.
6
5
Instrumentation
displayed high
The next step was to examine the extent to which this school
performance in teaching and
levels of proactive management linking with high
explored in relation to
learning. The concept of linkage has not been thoroughly
setting. The study presents an
curriculum management processes in the school
school-based management and
exploratory investigation of the linkage between
and learning outcomes.
academic effectiveness, in terms of teaching quality
semi-structured interviews
Dam were generated by a number of methods:
of the school;
with teaching staff from all levels in the organisational structure
f formal meetings,
observation
informal interactions with staff at recess periods;
documents; and the administration
and classroom teaching; examination of school
and measure linkage between
of a set of nine instniments designed to identify
teaching and learning variables. The technique of
management processes and
against data from other sources is in
cross checking data from one source
by Murphy, Peterson and Hai linger (1986)
response to the warning expressed
piece of data at a time is
that what looks like one pattern or conclusion when one
considered. They highlight
used can look quite diffen I t when multiple views are
simultaneously particularly in relation to
the need to consider multiple data points
practice.The data collection
the match between espoused policy and school
methods are listed below.
Interviews
Observation of teaching
Observation of meetings
Documentary analysis
Instruments:
Perceptions of the Principal's Tasks
Perceptions of the Principal's Roles
Task Responsibilities Instrument
Management Function Instrument
Impact Profile Instrument
Task/Person Orientation Instrument
Linkage: Quality and Style Instrument
Networks Instrument
Management Profile Sheet
7
6
Data were collected from the principal and the two deputy principals,
from 11 senior teachers and 7 teachers, a total of 21 respondents. Analyses of
data obtained from interviews, observations and instruments were performed
following procedures advocated by Miles and Huberman (1984). Data were
coded and analysed using the frameworks described earlier in this paper.
Results
aczositility_Warisathimilismagora
The initial question generated data about who is perceived to be
responsible for curriculum managemeat. A distinction is made ..etween who
ought to be responsible and who is responsible in practice; between intention
and reality. To establish which individuals or groups in the school were actually
involved in managing the curriculum, data from the Task Responsibilida
Instrument and the Management Function Instrument were examined. Table 1
shows the number of respondents who perceived the various individuals or
monitoring and innovation.
groups to be responsible for curriculum
Table 1
r
sefl
P L
Task
4111
Innovation
Monitoring
School personnel
4
2
Principal
Deputy (m)
Deputy (f)
2
Admit Astrative team
1
20
16
Senior Teachers
16
8
Teackels
mat. Entries are the frequencies with which respondents perceived each
responsible for each process
person or group of school personnel to be
involved in curriculum management
jigx. Respondents could nominate more than one person or group of school
personnel.
8
Table 1 shows that curriculum monitoring and innovation is perceived
teachers and teachers rather than any one
to be the responsibility of senior
supported by data
senior manager or senior management as a team. This is
presented in 'Table 2 from the Management Fut ctions Instrument.
Table 2
Perceptimiolls_v_d_of_Croillattiswor&rriolunalanagemeni
Level of Contribution
Ilem
web
Maximum
Moderate
Minimum
School personnel
3
3
15
Principal
2
18
Deputy (in)
1
0
3
18
Deputy (f)
0
4
17
Administrative team
0
19
2
Senior teachers
10
10
Teachers
1
which tt
21 respondents perceived
Note. Entries are the frequencies with
personnel to make varying levels of
each pern or group of school
contribudor. to curriculum management.
main contributors to
Table 2 indicates that respondents perceived the
and monitoring to be senior
curriculum planning, organisation, delivery
deputies both as individuals and
teachers and teachers. The principal and two
contribute minimally. This view was confirmed by
as a group were seen to
interviews data.
by principals and deputies
In contrast, however, is the perspective taken
Perceptions of the Principal's Roles
of the formal role of the principal. The
In each case the
Instrument was administered to the three senior managers.
"possessing sound general
curriculum management role defined as
be
knowledge about curriculum policy and its management" was seen to
significant. Table 3 presents the
either very significant or moderately
and two deputy principals.
responses of the principals
9
8
Table 3
Curriculum_Management
Perceptions of the Significance of the_ Principal's
Role by Senior Managers
Level of significance
aNISMIlow
Not at all
Of litde
Moderately
Very
Senior managers
Prinopal
Deputy (m)
Deputy (f)
principal's role as manager of the
&lc. The symbol * appears whenever the
deputy principals to
curriculum was perceived by the principal or one of the
in the current work of the principal.
be of varying levels of significance
4cneol believe curriculum
It appears that senior managers in u...
principal's role. However, neither the principals
management to be part of the
responsibility for curriculum management
nor the deputies are seen to assume
therefore, between perceptions of roles
in practice. There is a discreparcy,
Further investigation is
and of practice in relation to curriculum management.
do see the role of the
needed to clarify whether senior teachers and teachers
principal as encompassing curriculum management.
Imlbta in ka ge
the main focus of this
The second and more subtle quesdon, which is
in the school operate to promote
analysis, is how do managers at each level
associated with high levels academic
the high quality teaching and learning
analysis sought to identify the
achievement characteristic of this school. The
of the linkage between school managers
existence of linkages and the quality
and management of the curriculum.
has little direct
Despite the evidence that senior management
instruments revealed that the
involvement in curriculum matters, all the
in promoting and sustaining
principal and the two deputies each played a part
Orientation Instrument which
academic performance. The Task/Person
1 0