Running Head: Case Study School Culture 1
Running Head: Case Study School Culture 1
Running Head: Case Study School Culture 1
Educational Departament
English Pedagogy
Jorge´s case study shown us the lack of preparation of the educational system when
dealing with foreign students who do not speak the native language. In fact, there is also a lack of
efficacy from the school staff when creating countermeasures to solve this problem. Because, for
the school was better to implement exhausting schedules, ineffective ESL strategies and teachers
who were involved, yet not prepared. Also, at the end of the course, the teacher pointed out that
the efforts made by the students were not enough, demonstrating clearly the deficiency of Jorge´s
school. In addition, for the purpose of understanding these problems implications, through this
analysis is going to be exposed the nature of those problems; how they can be addressed and why
is important to re-formulate the current situation in the school presented in order to create a
positive school culture. This because is essential to understand that constructing a positive and
safe environment in which student's needs are addressed properly is directly related to students
According to Peterson & Deal (1998) the school culture is shaped by values, beliefs,
traditions, and rituals who have been built up over time. Considering this perspective, most of the
actions and beliefs identifiable in the case study demonstrates a negative school culture. Because,
1) Regarding the role of education, it is present that teachers have negative assumptions towards
students learning process. 2) The school hidden curriculum encourages integration but not
inclusiveness; 3) From the organizational culture of the school it is possible to find a lack of
consistency in terms of alignment with an English immersion program. These three aspects
represent the school culture because they summarize the decisions and actions plans taken by the
different actors present in the school previously described. About the first aspect, Jorge´s teacher
mentioned that because he did not put his best effort he failed on acquiring his second language
CASE STUDY 3
successfully. Despite the fact that everyone can have assumptions, is important that before
accepting those assumptions, teachers should analyze them, address the problem and move
beyond. From the second aspect, on one hand, it is positive that Jorge´s teachers acknowledge
providing him a tutor, nevertheless, these attempts are futile since the workbooks and activities
implemented on foreign students are thought to be used on English native speakers that are
learning Spanish as their L2. Finally, the way in which teachers portrays those activities in the
classroom illustrates the lack of reflective teaching. The lack of reflection about teaching impacts
predominates.
As future teachers, analyzing case studies like the previous one give us the possibility to
reflect on the role that we are going to play in with our practice. How are we going to contribute
with our teaching, what things we may change or not but more importantly how are we going to
deal with the educational environment that await for us. Nevertheless, before going beyond in
our future teaching is important to analyze our current context. What if Jorge were attending to a
Chilean school? First of all, is important to take into consideration that Chilean classrooms are
part of the EFL context. Furthermore, there is an idiomatic similarity between Jorge and his
Chilean teachers which make his learning process easier. However, most of the Chilean English
classes face the same problem described in the case study: students study vocabulary through
recitation and memorization, which later tend to be forgotten. From the teacher's perspective, in
correlation with my ELAB experience and what Hinde (2004) describes about school culture, I
have noticed that some assumptions can confuse the teacher´s self-reflective way of teaching.
There are thousands of students like Jorge whose potential is not fully developed because of
CASE STUDY 4
teachers who are stuck to one way of teaching through repetition. Ultimately, from a macro
perspective, it is necessary to specify that the alignments of the program presented in the case
study with the final results obtained by Jorge are not distant from the Chilean reality in terms of
mission and vision statements. Since, considering what as a course we have been studying, most
of the schools in our country do not measure the exit profile of their students in order to
Overall, the analysis of the case study allowed me to understand better the importance of
creating a positive school culture alongside with all the members of one school community. This
because is essential that everyone is engaged and compromised with the change of toxic
practices that have an impact on students learning. Additionally, As it was previously mentioned,
In the case of Jorge those changes are urgently needed for making for him and the other students
the learning of English accessible. Those changes should be made at all levels at school, from the
principal to even parents. For example, The analysis of the workbooks bought by the school
methodologies that address foreign and native student’s needs. If those changes are considered
they are not going to only improve life at school but also improve the focus on quality more than
the quantity of content learned by the students. As future teachers, the case study gave us an
approach to the reality that we might in a few years. I consider this fact relevant since this year I
have already experienced some of the problems present in Jorge´s school. Therefore, this does
not mean that I am going to be able to solve them yet it is going to help me to understand them to
acknowledge the important role of change that we have. Everyone deserves better when it is
References
Aslup, J. & Bush, J. (2003). But will it work with real students?: Scenarios for teaching
Hinde, E. R. (2004). School culture and change: An examination of the effects of school
Peterson, K. & Deal T. (1998). How leaders influence the culture of schools. Educational
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