Dynamics of Social Climate of Teaching Staffs in the Time of Educational Reform

Abstract

Relatively little is known about the interaction between spontaneous development of school organizations and the top-down mandated educational reform. In this multiple case study, the staff's social climate (questionnaire OCDQ-RS) of five Czech basic schools has been compared in the five-year period of curricular reform implementation.

The changes in different dimensions of the climate were linked with narratives about the changes in schools obtained by qualitative research techniques. The changes of social climate sensitively reflect the changes of external school context and school leadership.

Paradoxically the schools with most open climate show most skeptical attitudes to the reform.

Keywords

• multiple case study
• longitudinal research
• teaching staff
• elementary school
• social climate of teaching staff
• OCDQ-RS questionnaire
• change of social climate
• leadership