Proceedings of the 17th International Academic Conference, Vienna

THE CONTRIBUTION OF SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AS PERCEIVED BY TRAINEE TEACHERS TO THEIR FUTURE COMMITMENT TO THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

SARA ZAMIR

Abstract:

The process of training to become a teacher involves learning the cultural codes which give meaning to daily life at school. Teachers are a social creation molded by the expectations and actions of the "culture carriers" in the school: principals, other teachers and students. It is in relation to these "culture carriers" that trainee teachers develop their professional persona. A school's culture consists of rules that define what is normal, acceptable and legitimate. Such codes differentiate between matters of greater and lesser importance and identify the sources of power in the school, as well as the significant ways of taking the necessary power to guarantee one's status in the school. The aim of this research was to investigate the contribution of a school's organizational culture, as perceived by trainee teachers, to their future commitment to the education system. To this end I applied a qualitative methodology based on responses to open-ended questions. The study's main findings indicate a complementary relationship between organizational culture and commitment to teaching. A trainee teacher who sees most of the components of the organizational culture – principals, students, colleagues – as sympathetic, attentive and supportive, and in particular, who understands the norms and behaviors within the hidden layers of the organizational culture, will tend to develop a greater commitment to teaching.

Keywords: School organizational culture, trainee teacher, commitment to teaching, teaching career.

DOI: 10.20472/IAC.2015.017.111

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