INFLUENTIAL ELEMENTS OF SCHOOL CULTURE IN TWO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN
YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA
School effectiveness is highly influenced by school culture. Gary Phillips (1993) maintains
that positive learning can only take place in a positive culture. What kind of belief, values,
conduct, rule system, ceremonies, traditions grow in the school, what the school
community think to be right or wrong, what the teachers and students think as good or bad
determine school effectiveness. This paper aims at indentifying what elements of culture
are strong in two so called effective schools in Yogyakarta Special Province, Indonesia, and
how the school leaders have strived to make the culture grow. This paper also discloses how
far the school leaders and teachers aware on the importance of school culture, and which
cultural elements the students perceive to be most positive and influential. This is a
descriptive qualitative research. The data are collected mainly by questionnaires,
observation, in depth interview and examinations on cultural artifacts.
Keywords: school culture, school effectiveness,
SUMMARY
Background
School culture is often metaphorically expressed as water in the aquarium for the fish to do
activities and to live well. If the water is toxic the fish may be ill and die. If the water is
healthy, the fish may grow healthily, happily and produce good eggs. So important is the
role of school culture in the teaching and learning activities that Gary Phillips (1993) argues
positive learning can only take place in a positive culture. A healthy school culture will
affect more student and teacher success than any other reform or school improvement
effort currently being employed. A research conducted by Jerry L. Thacker and William D.
McInerney (1992) proved that school culture contributes to the student achievement
significantly. In Thacker’s and Mclnerney’s study it is proved that in school with good school
culture the number of students who failed annual statewide test is less than 10%.
Although many studies have convinced that school achievement and effectiveness is
determined by school culture, in many school reformation projects, especially in Indonesia
school culture is not seen as influential factors. Rarely do education reformists include
school culture as the one that needs to be addressed for change and quality improvement.
Attention is usually paid more to curriculum, human resources (teachers), instructional
technology/media or learning resources.
Theoretical Framework
Culture consists of the external and visible elements and the internal and invisible elements.
The external elements are those that can be easily observed are conscious and can be
changeable such as ceremonies, artifacts. The internal elements are usually deeply rooted
and not conscious such as values and beliefs. It is important to learn which school culture
elements are most influential in school improvement.
Paterson and Deal (2009: 10-12) maintain that culture is a powerful web of rituals, norms
and values that affects every corner of a school life. They further argue that school culture
influences what people pay attention to (focus), how they identify with the school
(commitment), how hard they work (motivation) and the degree to which they achieve their
goals (productivity). A school culture, they emphasize, sharpens the focus of daily behavior
and increases attention to what is important and valued. If we agree that focus,
commitment, motivation and productivity as key factors of success than every improvement
depends very much on school culture.
Simpson (1990) asserts that through haring and collegiality, empowerment, and effective
leadership are important elements of school culture. While other reference such as
Peterson mentions that norms, values and beliefs that underlie thinking, feeling and acting,
symbols and artifacts that communicate meaning, stories that herald values, cultural
network, heroes and heroines, rituals, traditions, and ceremonies are all elements of school
culture.
Objectives
This paper aims at identifying what elements of culture are strong in two so called effective
schools in Yogyakarta Special Province, Indonesia, and how the school leaders have strived
to make the culture grow. This paper also discloses how far the school leaders and teachers
aware on the importance of school culture, and which cultural elements the students
perceive to be most positive and influential.
Method
This is a descriptive qualitative study. The data are collected mainly by questionnaires,
observation, in depth interview and examinations on documents and cultural artifacts. The
respondents include school leaders, teachers, students, parents in two schools coming from
two different contexts. The first school is SMP Negeri 1 Bantul, a state junior high school
located in the suburban area of Yogyakarta Special Province and the other one is SMA De
Britto Yogyakarta, a catholic senior high school located in the city of Yogyakarta. These two
schools are prominent and effective school in Yogyakarta.
Conclusion
This research is still in progress and planned to finish middle of November 2013. Not all data
are completed and questions answered so conclusion cannot be drawn yet.
Educational importance of this study
This study shall strengthen and give more insight on the role of school culture in school
improvement in Indonesian context. Information on most influential elements on school
culture perceived by different community members (school leaders, teachers, students,
parents) are important data for both leaders and policy makers in determining further
plans. What efforts have been made, problems solved or unsolved and the good practices in
establishing school culture in different contexts are interesting to explore. Information on
who and how far community members of each school aware and feel the influence of the
school culture is essential for the school leaders and policy makers in the school or others.
Connection to the themes of the congress
This study supports the conference subtheme number 1 i.e. ‘School Effectiveness, School
Improvement and School Transformation - What do they Mean in Different Contexts and Different
Paradigms’ as it discusses a vital element in educational improvement indifferent context i.e.
Indonesia as a particular context, and the context on each schools.
Main references:
Colley, M. Kenna. 1999. “Coming to Know a School Culture”. Virginia: Dissertation
submitted to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Hinde, Elizabeth. 2000. “School Culture and Change: An Examination of the Effects of School
Culture on the Process of Change”. Arizona State University West
Peterson, Kent and Deal, Terrence. 2009. The Shaping School Culture.
Peterson, Kent and Deal, Terrence. 1998. “How Leaders Influence the Culture of Schools” in
Educational Leadership 56 (1)
Phillips, Gary and Wagner, Christopher. 2003. School Culture Assessment: A Manual for
Assessing and Transforming School-Classroom Culture