UNIVERSITI UTARA MALAYSIA

SCHOOL CULTURE
AND
SCHOOL CLIMATE
MARLIA BINTI JAMAIL
818032
SGDU 5063
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATION

DR. MUHAJIR
0

CONTENTS
NO.

TOPIC

Introduction

School Culture

PAGE
2

2.1) Definition

2.2) Characteristics

2.3) Factors
3

5-6

School Climate
3.1) Definition

3.2) Characteristics

8- 9

3.3) Taguri (1968)

10

3.4) Factors

11 - 12

Contrasting school culture and school climate

13

Changing school culture and school climate

Conclusion

16

References

17 - 18

14 15

1) INTRODUCTION

Maslow (1943) stated that feeling safe physically, socially, intellectually and emotionally
is a fundamental human need. Feeling safe in school is a parent major concern for their children
to develop their personality, talents, cognitive and physical abilities to their children fullest
potential. Even though the academic achievement becomes a major interest for the society, we
realize that there is something else to be uncovered, openly and purposely discussed, assessed
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and developed. Researchers and educators recently have increasing recognized the important of
the school culture and school climate.
School culture and school climate may be seen as the same thing, and having similar
characteristics, but they both are two different concepts. Many school leaders believe that the
school culture and school climate are the same thing, and they find it difficult to address the
achievement in their surroundings. School leaders must know the distinction between culture and
climate. Often the climate is viewed as behavior, while culture is seen as comprising the values
and norms of the school (Heck and Marcoulides, 1996). Structuring the culture and climate of a
school quality is the focus, that leads to increase achievement.
School culture and school climate is not simply job-focused to the school leaders only. It
is created and maintained together by all the members of the school community. Its teamwork.
Working everyday and realize that mission and vision of the school, is the responsibility of every
member of the school community. The culture and the climate of a school is not something that
can be left to chance, we all have a duty to build a positive, responsive and dynamic systems to
achieve a high level states of quality in school.

SCHOOL CULTURE
2.1) DEFINITION
Culture is the underground stream of norms, values, beliefs, traditions and rituals that has
been built up over time as people work together, solve problems and confront challenges (Deal
and Peterson, 1998). In short, school culture is what things are done and how they are done as
define as the way we do things around here (Bower, 1996). Kylte and Bogotch (2000)
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examined school reform efforts through a reculturing, rather than a restructuring model.
They found that real and sustained change is more readily achieved by first changing the culture
of the school, rather than by simply changing the structures of the way the school operates and
functions. So, it is very important to well understand the definition of the school culture.
The book How to create a culture of achievement in your school and classroom,
provides a tree (figure i.1 page 4) as an analogy to the school culture. What lies above the surface
of a schools organization, are exposed on what lies below the tree structure the relationship,

identity, culture and data that are necessary to anchor and sustain the school.

SCHOOL CULTURE
2.2) CHARACTERISTICS
According to the Center for Improving School Culture (CISC), there are three major
indicators of the health of a schools culture; they are collaboration, collegiality and efficacy.

a) Collaboration is characterized as the degree which people work together, share

information and instructional strategies, and are encouraged to have constructive
discussions and debates
b) Collegiality is about a sense of belonging, emotional support, and inclusion as a valued
member of the organization
c) Efficacy tends to focus on how stakeholders view themselves. Do they feel as if they
have control of their destinies or do they view themselves as helpless victim of the
system? Do they respect research supported evidence about good teaching or are they
rigidly attached to the status quo?

SCHOOL CULTURE
2.3) FACTORS
There are four factors that foster a high quality and positive school culture, and they are:

a) Leadership
Educational leadership is closely related to the organization and culture of the school,
which is related in turn to student achievement (Witziers et al. 2003). A school principal
must first understand the schools culture before implementing change. A successful
leader should be confidence, fully committed, well understand the vision of the school,
and trust the organization in a holistic ways. By deepening the understand of school
culture, the school leader will be better equipped to shape the values, beliefs and attitudes
necessary with the schools mission and vision.
b) Organization
An effective organization development will be driven by a clear mission, fully inspired
by the vision and well operationalized by culture. Everyone is involved in the school.
They need to know the mission and how their part supports the vision that leads to the
school achievement. An organization should make them feel welcome, comfortable,
important and understood. They also need a specific set of purpose language, actions, and
routines that identify the organization systems practices that build the culture of
achievement.
SCHOOL CULTURE

c) Communication
Culture is not built overnight or by planning alone. Culture is built through shared
experiences and languages, that takes time to build up the culture. Communication should
be the first to connect all the people of the school community teacher, student, parent,
administrator, and also the external community. By improving collegial and collaborative
activities, it will promote a better communication and problem solving. Communication
barrier should not be a fear factor in implementing a positive school culture.
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d) Motivation
Motivation can amplify energy, commitment and confidence of the school community,
that in turn can foster the feeling of the sense of belonging. Everybody should be lead by
example to inspire what is important and the value of being under one roof the same
vision. Teamwork of people are engaged and respected. Students, families and educators
work together to develop, live, contribute and win the shared school mission and vision.

SCHOOL CLIMATE
3.1) DEFINITION
School climate is based on patterns of peoples experiences of school life and reflects
norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and
organizational structures - (Jonathan Cohen, 2007). Or in a simple definition, school climate is
defined as how student and staff feel about being at school each day (Gary Philips, CISC).
School climate also can be pictured as the heart and soul of the school and the essence of the
school, that draws teachers and students to love the school and want to be a part of it (Freiberg
and Stein, 1999).
From all the definition given above about the school climate, school climate can be
summarized as the collective beliefs, values and attitudes at school. It can refer to the quality and
character of school life (Cohen, 2009). According to Maslows hierarchy of needs, student who
are too focused on the basic needs for safety and health, cannot spare full attention to learning
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and academic success. So, it is necessary to provide a positive school climate that promotes
school connectedness and bonding. Having clear rules and procedures, positive relationship, as
well as a great physical environment, it will create and maintain such an environment of a
positive school climate.

Maslows Theory : Hierarchy of needs

SCHOOL CLIMATE
3.2) CHARACTERISTICS

a) Physical environment
Physical surrounding including adequate resources, great supplies, cleanliness, a warm
and welcome environment, complete facilities, leads to a conducive environment in
creating a positive school climate. This positive school climate will not only make the
students to feel safe and welcome, but it also will affect the teachers and the school

community as well. In general, a safe surrounding contributed to the feeling of their

school safety.
b) Social environment
Student who may be perceived as not fitting in in the social environment, may be at
risk for being bullied or isolated from friends. Feeling safe can be shaped through a good
communication and interaction among the peers, generally in the school community. Use
respectful language to nurture a healthy social environment. School leaders also must
create a clear and visible quality values, so that everybody can communicate in align
communication.
SCHOOL CLIMATE

c) Affective environment
Students and teachers who feel connected to the school, enjoy going to school, have
healthy relationship, and are committed to learn and doing well. This feeling is a major
component for self belonging and high level for self esteem. For teachers, they are jobsatisfied and more committed to their profession, thus positively affect student learning.
d) Academic environment
Teaching and learning represents one of the most important dimensions of school climate.
School leaders and teachers should strive to clearly define the sets of norms, goals, values
that shape the learning and teaching environment. A positive school climate promotes
learning, thus provides academic success and create a positive behavioural outcomes for
students.

SCHOOL CLIMATE
3.3) TAGUIRI (1968)

Taguiri (1968) defines the school climate in terms of four dimensions:

ecology

(physical and material aspects)

milieu

(social dimension created by the characteristics of groups of persons)

culture

(social dimension created by belief systems, values, cognitive structures)

social system (social dimension created by the relationships of persons and groups)
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Most researchers adopted this classic and more widely referenced definition of organizational
climate provided by Taguiri (1968) cited in Fink et al. (1995) as; Climate is the relatively
enduring quality of the internal environment of an organization that (a) is experienced by its
members; (b) influences their behaviour; and (c) can be described in terms of the values of a
particular set of characteristics (or attributes) of the organization.
SCHOOL CLIMATE
3.4) FACTORS

We can conclude that by refering to the diagram on the factors that affected the positive
school climate, everybody is involved, and played a specific role to achieve the clear mission and
vision of the school, by well-defined and leaded by the school leader. From the community
within the school the school organization, the staff, the students, to the external community
parents and community itself, all played a specific part, to support the vision that leads to the
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positive school climate. All shall succeed. No one should be left behind. Its crucial to bond
everyone of the school community to have that such a loving feeling to value the sense of
belonging of the school. The organization has to serve all the school community well, not just
one group.

SCHOOL CLIMATE

Students itself should have a highly self esteem when addressing about their school. As
well as the teachers and the school community, either the internal or the external community,
they all played the unique parts to foster a quality and positive school climate. When everybody
loves their belongings such as here refers to the school, they will positively change their way of
life in capturing the best in their life to create a positive school climate.
Parents are actually both suppliers (of students) and customers (educational attainment).
We can encourage parents to support education by encouraging communication and
understanding mutually supportive roles in the students. Parental involvements are crucial to a
students success in a positive school climate. A school-parent collaboration can be done, as it
can :
i)

Have a shared responsibility between parents and teacher to ensure quality

ii)
iii)

learning for students

To increase parents awareness in assisting student learning
To develop parents role as partners with school in improving their childrens

outcome
As well as creating the school-parent collaboration, the school-community collaboration
also is highly recommended in promoting a positive school climate, as it can:
i)
Tap volunteer organizations in the community that can provide an array of
services and benefits to the local school
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ii)

Get students to involve with community organization and their projects, while
learning valuable lessons continuously in the learning process

4) CONTRASTING SCHOOL CULTURE AND SCHOOL CLIMATE

No.

Culture

Climate

The way we do things around here

The way we feel around here

Personality of the group

Attitude or mood of the group

A limited way of thinking

Provides a state mind

Takes many years to evolve

Flexible, easy to change

Based on values and belief

Based on perception

Members cannot feel it

Members can feel it

Is part of us

Is all around us

Determines if improvement is possible

First step to improvement

5) CHANGING SCHOOL CULTURE THROUGH SCHOOL CLIMATE

Why we all need to change the culture or the climate of our school? In October 2011, the
Malaysian Ministry of Education launched a comprehensive review of the educational systems in
Malaysia in order to develop a New Educational Blueprint. The decision was made in the context
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of raising international education standards, the Government aspiration of better preparing

Malaysians children for the needs of the 21st century, and increased public and parental
expectations of education policy.

By referring to the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 2025, Malaysian government

has set clear targets that need to be achieved in terms of quality, equity and access within 13
years. The Ministry has identified 11 shifts that will need to occur to deliver the step change in
outcomes envisioned by all Malaysians. Each shift will address at least one of the five systems
outcomes of access, quality, unity and efficiency, with quality as the common underlying focus
across all shifts due to the fact that is the most urgent attention. Some of these shifts represent a
change in strategy and direction, the school culture and also the school climate.

Looking to the future, the only way to ensure that our education system integrates with
the changing world, we need to bond every people to understand the aspiration of our
educational mission and vision. The transformation on the part of every stakeholder can make the
Malaysian education system become truly a world class education, to tackle the ever-changing
challenges of the 21st century.

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6) CONCLUSION
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Strong school cultures and school climate have better motivated teachers. Highly
motivated teachers have greater success in terms of student performance and student outcomes.
School leaders seeking to improve student performance should focus on improving the schools
culture and school climate, by getting the relationships right between themselves, their teachers,
students and parents. Measuring school climate to focus the schools goals on learning is
important for the process of improving the schools academic performance.
Although building the school culture of a school takes time and effort, the success is the
worth of effort. Getting the right people in the right position, and supporting them, is part of the
culture-building process. By shaping the positive school culture through the positive school
climate, we can create a greater success in our own unique way, view and content. In a culture,
we truly believe that its never too late to change. No school improvement effort will be
effective, maintained or enhanced, unless the school culture and school climate are both
addressed and aligned.

7) REFERENCES

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International Journal Leadership in Education, the effect of school culture and school
climate on student achievement January March 2009, Volume 12, No. 1, page 73 84
b) Cohen J. A student services Symposium : Supporting Students to success, Measuring &
Improving School Climate : A School Improvement Strategy that Supports the and The
Whole School Community Harrisburg, PA May 17,2010
c) Voight A., Austin G, Hanson T. - A Climate for Academic Success How school climate
distinguishes schools that are Beating the achievement odds (Report summary)
d) Wang et. Al, McDougall P., Krygsman A and Smith D., Cunningham C.E., Haltigan J.D.,
Hymel S. - School climate, Peer victimization, and academic achievement: results from a
multi-informant study, SCHOOL PSYCOLOGY QUARTERLY, American Psychological
Association, 2014, vol. 29, no. 3, pg 360 -377,
e) Bosworth K., Ford L., Hernandaz D., - Journal of school health, School Climate Factors
Contributing to Student and Faculty Perceptions of Safety in Select Arizona schools,
April 2011, Vol. 81, No. 4, page 194 -200,
f) Negis-isik A., Gursel M., Organizational Culture in a Successful Primary School : An
Ethnographic Case Study; Educational Consultancy and Research center, page 221-228,
13(1), Winter.2013.
g) Executive Summary of Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 -2025 (Preschool to postsecondary education)
h) Halpin A.W & Croft D.B, The Organizational Climate of School, 1963, Chicago:
Midwest, Administration Center, University of Chicago
i) Venezky , R.L & Winfield, L.F. 1979. Schools that succeed beyond expectations in
teachingreading. Newark: University of Delaware.
j) http://www.learnglobalthinklocal.com/what-does-effective-leadership-look-like-in-21stcentury-schools.html
k) http://www.p12.nysed.gov/dignityact/rgsection1.html
l) http://www.schoolclimate.org/climate/
m) http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.eserv.uum.edu.my/ehost/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=8787c99d91a9-4d68-9b02
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