RUNNING HEAD: CASE STUDY SCHOOL CULTURE 1

Task 2: Case study

Daniel Osvaldo Martinez Ortuya

Alberto Hurtado University

Educational Departament

English Pedagogy

May 22°, 2019

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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

way of inserting and engaging themselves with their learning process.

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
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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

negatively on students performance towards a system in which workbook exercises

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
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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

acknowledge if they have internalized what is claimed in those statements.

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

principal, understanding if they have an impact on students or allowing teachers to change

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

referred to education, we should ensure that possibility.

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References

Aslup, J. & Bush, J. (2003). But will it work with real students?: Scenarios for teaching

secondary English Language Arts. National Council of teachers of English.

Hinde, E. R. (2004). School culture and change: An examination of the effects of school

culture on the process of change. Essays in Education.

Peterson, K. & Deal T. (1998). How leaders influence the culture of schools. Educational

leadership 56 (1), 28-30

Peterson, K. (2002). Is your school’s culture toxic or positive?. Retrieved from:

https://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin275.shtml