The acquisition of the socio-organizational culture of the secondary schoolteacher

"The Acquisition of the Socio-Organizational Culture of the Secondary Schoolteacher" presents the construct of the daily working world of the secondary schoolteacher as a culture which must be accessed, both formally and informally, by beginning teachers. The unanticipated tensions of learning this new culture layered upon institutional and instructional demands may precipitate early teacher dropout. Educating the preservice and first year teacher with the theoretical construct of the world of the secondary schoolteacher as a culture demystifies the teacher role and creates the mindset which enables the novice to access the culture with efficacy. Ensuring the vitality of veteran teachers whose values and attitudes beginners tend to coopt, provides a powerful mode of informal access to positive secondary schoolteacher culture.

This dissertation profiles secondary schoolteacher social and organizational culture and discusses the beginning teacher's acquisition of that culture. The design for this study is driven by a paradigm outlining the major areas of creative tension confronting secondary teachers, derived from the literature and direct observation, which provided the conceptual framework for the survey instrument. Sited in the Sweetwater Union High School District, Chula Vista, California, this study examines and compares the socio-organizational behaviors and attitudes of beginning (1-5 years taught), experienced (6-15 years taught), and veteran (16+ years taught) teachers. Three pervasive, underlying norms governing secondary schoolteacher culture were found: locus of control, autonomy, and equity. Both qualitative and quantitative data supported the existence of concept of a developmental continuum, ranging from beginning teacher preference for progressive to experienced teacher predilection for traditional pedagogical systems.

Results of this study provide the impetus for the following recommendations: the establishment of teacher education curricula in the affective domain; the implementation of participative management agenda at school sites; the development of multicultural programs for continuing teacher education; the initiation or expansion of school district teacher induction programs; the creation of veteran teacher revitalization programs; and the establishment of behavioral protocols to codify and legitimate teacher stories as an authentic body of educational research.