THE TEACHER AND THE COMMUNITY, SCHOOL

CULTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL

LEADERSHIP

MODULE 1:
Introduction to Society, Community and Education

Alvin G. Gozun Ed.D

What is your concept of society?

What is the contribution of society to the

development of the learner?

Do you have any contribution to society?

 Definition and Relationship with Education

1. Society

Society may be viewed as a system of interrelated mutually

dependent parts which cooperate (more or less) to preserve a
recognizable whole and to satisfy some purpose or goal. Social
system refers to the orderly arrangement of parts of society and
plurality of individuals interacting with each other. Social system
presupposes a social structure consisting of different parts which are
interrelated in such a way as to perform its functions.
Five major complexes of institutions are identified:

 familial institutions
 religious institutions
 educational institutions
 economic institutions
 political institutions

These institutions form sub-systems within social system or larger

society.
Education as a Sub-System:

Education is a sub-system of the society.

Education as a sub-system performs certain functions for the society as whole. There
are also functional relations between education and other sub-systems. For example,
Education trains the individuals in skills that are required by economy. Similarly,
education is conditioned by the economic institutions.

The effectiveness of organized activities of a society depends on the interaction and inter
relationships of these institutions which constitute the whole. Now we will examine the role of
education for the society and the relationship between education and other sub-system of society
in terms of functionalist perspective. The functionalist view of education tends to focus on the
positive contributions made by education to the maintenance of social system.
Education as a Sub-System:

Emile Durkheim says that the major function of education is the

transmission of society’s norms and values. He maintains that “society can
survive only if there exists among its members a sufficient degree of
homogeneity; education perpetuates and reinforces this homogeneity by fixing
in the child from the beginning the essential similarities which collective life
demands”. Without these essential similarities, cooperation, social solidarity and
therefore social life would be impossible. The vital task of all society is the
creation of solidarity.
Education as a Sub-System:

This involves a commitment to society, a sense of belonging and

feeling that the social unit is more important than the individual.
Durkheim argues that to become attached to society the child must feel
in it something that is real, alive and powerful, which dominates the
person and to which he also owes the best part of himself.

Education in particular the teaching of history, provides this link

between the individual and society. If the history of his society is
brought alive to the child, he will come to see that he is a part of
something larger than himself, he will develop a sense of commitment to
the social group.
2. Community

Schools and Communities Extensive research has shown that there is a

strong link between community involvements in schools and better school
attendance, as well as the improved academic achievement of students.

Warren, Hong, Ruben and Uy examined the collaboration between schools

and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to engage previously
marginalized or alienated families in schools. Their research revealed that
“collaborative power is critical to creating the civic capacity to build and
sustain school reform”.
 The relationship between school and community they asserted, was
reciprocal – the community cares for the school and the school
revitalizes the community. As a result, neighborhood schools become
potential sites for building social capital, which benefits neighborhood
as well as school, and strong communities in turn can produce a change
in the culture of schooling.

The study found that collaboration and parent engagement lead to

improved student performance and marks. This fits with strong evidence
emerging from the literature which indicates that school results improve in
low achieving inner city schools when educators, parents, education officials
and particularly school principals all work together as a team, to improve
education.
3. Education
The word education comes from the Latin world e-ducere, mean “to
lead out”. It is indeed, difficult to define education. Education is a
relentless process of becoming. To the human being we educate and to the
animal we train.

Education in the broadest sense is any act or experience that has a formative
effect on mind, character or physical ability of an individual. In its technical
sense education is a process by which society deliberately transmits its
accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another.
Education is the basis for development and empowerment for every nation. It
plays a vital role in understanding and participating in day-to-day activities of
today’s world. It builds one’s character and plays a significant role in transmitting
one’s culture, belief and values to others in society.
4. Social Interaction

In sociology, social interaction is a dynamic sequence of social actions between

individuals (or groups) who modify their actions and reactions due to actions by
their interaction partner(s). Social interactions can be differentiated into accidental,
repeated, regular and regulated.

A social interaction is a social exchange between two or more individuals. These

interactions form the basis for social structure and therefore are a key object of basic
social inquiry and analysis. Social interaction can be studied between groups of two
(dyads), three (triads) or larger social groups.
5. School Culture

According to Fullan (2007) school culture can be defined as the guiding

beliefs and values evident in the way a school operates. ‘School culture’ can be
used to encompass all the attitudes, expected behaviors and values that impact
how the school operates.

The term school culture generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships,

attitudes, and written and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a
school functions, but the term also encompasses more concrete issues such as the
physical and emotional safety of students, the orderliness of classrooms and public
spaces, or the degree to which a school embraces and celebrates racial, ethnic, linguistic,
or cultural diversity.
School cultures can be divided into two basic forms: 

positive cultures and negative cultures

Positive school cultures are conducive to professional satisfaction,

morale, and effectiveness, as well as to student learning,
fulfillment, and well-being.
The following list is a representative selection of a few characteristics
commonly associated with positive school cultures:

 The individual successes of teachers and students are recognized and celebrated.

 Relationships and interactions are characterized by openness, trust, respect, and

appreciation.

 Staff relationships are collegial, collaborative, and productive, and all staff members
are held to high professional standards.

 Students and staff members feel emotionally and physical safe, and the school’s
policies and facilities promote student safety.
 School leaders, teachers, and staff members model positive, healthy
behaviors for students.

 Mistakes not punished as failures, but they are seen as opportunities to learn and
grow for both students and educators.

 Students are consistently held to high academic expectations, and a majority of students
meet or exceed those expectations.

 Important leadership decisions are made collaboratively with input from staff
members, students, and parents.

 Criticism, when voiced, is constructive and well-intentioned, not antagonistic or self-

serving.
 Educational resources and learning opportunities are equitably distributed,
and all students, including minorities and students with disabilities.

 All students have access to the academic support and services they may

need to succeed.
 Reform
School culture has become a central concept in many efforts to change how schools
operate and improve educational results. While a school culture is heavily influenced by
its institutional history, culture also shapes social patterns, habits, and dynamics that
influence future behaviors, which could become an obstacle to reform and improvement.

Example:

If a faculty culture is generally dysfunctional—i.e., if interpersonal tensions and distrust are common,
problems are rarely addressed or resolved, or staff members tend to argue more than they collaborate or
engage in productive professional discussions—it is likely that these cultural factors will significantly
complicate or hinder any attempt to change how the school operates. This simple example illustrates why
school culture has become the object of so many research studies and reform efforts—without a school
culture that is conducive to improvement, reform becomes exponentially more difficult.
The following describe a few representative examples of common ways that schools may attempt to
improve their culture:

 Establishing professional learning communities that encourages teachers to communicate, share

expertise, and work together more collegially and productively.

 Providing presentations, seminars, and learning experiences designed to educate staff and students
about bullying and reduce instances of bullying.

 Creating events and educational experiences that honor and celebrate the racial, ethnic, and linguistic
diversity of the student body, such as hosting cultural events and festivals, exhibiting culturally
relevant materials throughout the school, inviting local cultural leaders to present to students, or
making explicit connections between the diverse cultural backgrounds of students and what is being
taught in history, social studies, and literature courses. For related discussions, see 
multicultural education and voice.
 Establishing an advisory program that pairs groups of students with adult advisor to
strengthen adult-student relationships and ensure that students are well known and supported by
at least one adult in the school.

 Surveying students, parents, and teachers about their experiences in the school, and hosting
community forums that invite participants to share their opinions about and recommendations for the
school and its programs.

 Creating a leadership team comprising a representative cross-section of school administrators,

teachers, students, parents, and community members that oversees and leads a school-improvement
initiative.
Activity:

1. Make a chart showing the relationship of community, society and education.

a. How is their interrelationship
b. What impact does one have to the other
2. What can you contribute to the society as a future teacher?
Submit your answer to the school LMS.