School Climate in Highly Effective Schools in the Autonomous Region of the Basque Country (Spain)

Abstract

This study, part of a wider study, presents the results concerning school climate as examples of best practices in highly effective schools. Thirty-two primary and secondary schools were identified and selected using multilevel statistical modelling techniques and hierarchical linear models that identified schools with higher-than-expected student results from among all the schools in the Autonomous Region of the Basque Country. Once schools had been identified and characterised, the best practices were selected via a qualitative study involving 83 interviews with 3 groups of key informants: 25 inspectors, 26 educational advisors and 30 management teams from the 32 selected schools. Results show that school climate incorporates aspects related to academic climate, social relations and organisational structure. The development of school climate is linked to teachers' commitment to educational work, involvement, teamwork and participatory management. The ultimate aim of this study is for the best practices identified to serve as a useful tool in the design and implementation of the improvement actions carried out in all schools in the Spanish Autonomous Region of the Basque Country. Thus, one suggestion is to broaden our understanding of climate beyond peaceful coexistence between students, and to include teamwork processes and democratic participation in the peaceful coexistence plan.Keywords: School discipline, Educational innovation, Educational efficiency, Primary education, Secondary education.Este trabajo, fruto de una investigación más amplia, trata de dar a conocer que el clima escolar forma parte de las buenas prácticas de los centros escolares de alta eficacia. Se han identificado y seleccionado a través de técnicas estadísticas multinivel y modelos jerárquicos lineales 32 centros de alta eficacia entre todos los centros de la Comunidad Autónoma Vasca. La caracterización de sus prácticas se ha realizado con metodología cualitativa, a través de cabo ochenta y tres entrevistas a tres colectivos de informantes clave: 25 inspectores e inspectoras de referencia; 26 asesores de referencia y 30 equipos directivos de los 32 centros seleccionados. Dan a conocer que la dimensión clima escolar en estos centros incorpora aspectos relacionados con el clima académico, relación social y estructura organizativa. El desarrollo del clima del centro va unido a la implicación del profesorado en la labor educativa, trabajo en equipo y la gestión participativa. El objetivo último de este estudio es que las buenas prácticas identificadas sirvan como herramientas para diseñar e implementar acciones de mejora en los centros de la Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco. Así, entre las sugerencias se propone ampliar la perspectiva del clima más allá de la convivencia entre el alumnado, e incorporar procesos de trabajo en grupo y la participación democrática en el plan de convivencia.

The Effect of Transformational Leadership of School Principles, School Committee Participation, Teacher Performance, and School Culture on Children-Friendly School Performance at Public Primary School in Deli Serdang Regency

“…Based on hypothesis testing with a path coefficient of p54 = 0.685. The research results obtained also support the research conducted by Maxwell et al [33]; Tubbs and Mary [34]; Etxeberria [13]; Brault, Michel, and Asabelle [35]; and Kwong [14] that school culture has a significant effect on the performance of childfriendly schools. School culture can be seen from the orientation of school program results.…”

“…Efforts to develop a school culture that is oriented towards achieving the performance of Child-friendly Schools, school principals can organize and maintain in such a way the continuity of activities in schools. The relationship of school culture variables to the performance of Child-friendly Schools is shown in the research of Etxeberria [13] which states that school culture is related to teacher commitment to educational work, involvement, teamwork, and participatory school management in the Basque Autonomous Region of Spain. The results suggest to expand our understanding of culture beyond peaceful coexistence between students, and to include processes of teamwork and democratic participation in plans for peaceful coexistence.…”

La valoración de estudiantes acerca del clima escolar, convivencia y violencia en escuelas secundarias del noroeste de México

“…Estos resultados contrastan con otros que han encontrado predicción de la victimización de adolescentes a partir de variables del clima escolar. https://doi.org/10.15359/ree.26-3.11 https://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/index.php/educare educare@una.ac.cr De acuerdo con Etxeberria et al (2017), un clima escolar favorable es percibido por el estudiantado como un factor para el buen funcionamiento de la escuela, pero además las variables de convivencia escolar son importantes, debido a que en otros estudios se ha evidenciado que explican en un porcentaje considerable el rendimiento académico (Cerda et al, 2018).…”

An Organizational Factor Predicting School Effectiveness: School Climate

“…These; leadership, high expectations, rules and discipline, mission focus, monitoring process (assessment and evaluation), positive / supportive climate, time emphasis on duty, parent/community participation, staff development, basic skills, teacher participation in decisions, grouping procedures, teacher quality and other elements. Etxeberria, Intxausti and Azpillaga (2017), in their study, reported that high-impact schools in general have teachers live together in a safe, peaceful and conflict-free environment of the school community with a set of democratic rules, conflict resolution attitudes characterized by reconciliation and agreement, and a sense of mutual support of the teacher-management team, and that each school has agreed on its own vision. In summary, they have a good / positive climate.…”

“…They emphasized the importance of having a stable team of teachers in order to create a positive/good climate. Although different characteristics have been proposed as to the characteristics of effective schools, many researchers agree on the "school climate" characteristics (Doran, 2004;Etxeberria, Intxausti, & Azpillaga, 2017;Scheerens, & Creemers, 1989;Şişman, 1996;Turhan, Şener, & Gündüzalp, 2017;Uline, Miller, & Tschannen-Moran, 1998;Whetten & Cameron, 1984). In other words, effective schools, administrators, teachers and other employees have a climate that believes that all students can learn and reflects this on their behavior (Lezotte 1991).…”