Comparing perceptions about collaborative culture from certified and non-certified staff members through the adaptation of the School Culture Survey - Teacher Form

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on January 30, 2007)Vita.Thesis (Ed. D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2007.The purpose of this quantitative case study was twofold. The first purpose of this study was to create a parallel instrument to the School Culture Survey-Teacher Form in order to gauge the cultural perceptions of non-certified staff. The second purpose of this study was to respond to a lack of information concerning the perspectives of school culture among all building-level staff members within High School A. One survey was used in this study, in two forms. The two forms were the School Culture Survey-Teacher Form (SCS-TF) and the School Culture Survey-Staff Member Form (SCS-SMF). Data was collected by surveying 120 staff members at the selected site, High School A. Data were analyzed to determine the reliability and validity of the SCS-TF and the SCS-SMF. Data were also analyzed to determine the presence of differences and interactions among different subgroups within the population, more specifically, among subgroups which related to the job status and the tenure of the staff members within the selected site. The SCS-TF and the SCS-SMF were proven to be highly reliable instruments with this population. Both instruments, however, lacked construct validity with the original School Culture Survey (Gruenert, 1998). Conclusions suggest that there is a lack of a cohesive shared culture among the staff members of High School A. There were only two themes which emerged in the course of this case study (importance of a common mission and importance of praise.Includes bibliographical reference