School Climate and Staff Perceptions
Research has examined the links between teachers’ perceptions of a school’s
professional climate, on the one hand, and teachers’ effectiveness and job
satisfaction on the other (for example, see Mitchell, Ortiz, and Mitchell 1987;
Rosenholtz 1991). In one extensive study of Catholic high schools, a range of attributes
were found to contribute to school effectiveness, including the staff’s communal
organization to advance shared goals; principals having primary decisionmaking authority
for most school management matters; teachers’ commitment to the academic,
spiritual, and social development of students (which encompassed providing extra
help when needed and supporting extracurricular activities); and an atmosphere of
mutual respect among everyone in the school (Bryk, Lee, and Holland 1993). Elements
of staff opinion and school climate discussed here include teachers’ sense
of shared purpose, collegiality, and cooperative efforts; teachers’ evaluations
of principals’ leadership and support; and principals’ top goals for
the school.
