School culture is an important part of education. it is directly related to the satisfaction of all stakeholders of school.
The diagram below represents the components of school culture.
Patterson, Purkey, and Parker (1986) summarize the general knowledge base regarding school culture:
- School culture does affect the behavior and achievement of elementary and secondary school students (though the effect of classroom and student variables remains greater).
- School culture does not fall from the sky; it is created and thus can be manipulated by people within the school.
- School cultures are unique; whatever their commonalities, no two schools will be exactly alike -- nor should they be.
- To the extent that it provides a focus and clear purpose for the school, culture becomes the cohesion that bonds the school together as it goes about its mission.
- Though we concentrate on its beneficial nature, culture can be counterproductive and an obstacle to educational success; culture can also be oppressive and discriminatory for various subgroups within the school.
- Lasting fundamental change (e.g. changes in teaching practices or the decision making structure) requires understanding and, often, altering the school's culture; cultural change is a slow process.(p. 98)Reference: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 2013, School Context: Bridge or Barrier to Change [Online] Available from : http://www.sedl.org/change/school/culture.html
