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COURSE TEXTS
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Required: Ghosh, R., & Ray, D. (1987). Social change and education in Canada.
Toronto: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
Recommended: Goodlad, J.l. (1984). A place called school. New York: McGraw-
Hill and Lortie, D.C. (1975) Schoolteacher. Chicago, Ill.: University of
Chicago Press.
An extensive list of readings is also required. A few copies will be made available.
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EDUCATlO:: 390 (1989-2 Regular Semester)
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Schools as Workplace
Peter Coleman
Course Objectives
The objectives of the course are to provide students with a range of
information drawn from current research on schools as workplaces for
students and teachers. It is expected that students will considerably enlarge
their knowledge of schools in general, even of the schools they have
experienced.
Course Description
The course falls into four sections: They are:
Schools as social institutions:
This introductory section will examine four
aspects of schools as social institutions: school functions; school quality;
school climate; and school improvement.
Students and schools:
This section will examine three dimensions of
school effects on stjdents: student opinions of schooling; student
dropouts; and the school as preparation for citizenship.
Teachers and schools:
This section will examine the school as
workplace from the perspective of teachers. The main topics are teacher
work; collegiality ard the peer-group; staff development; and
negotiations.
Parents and schoo's:
The opinions of parents do not play a large part in
shaping schools arid schooling. Yet quite a lot is known about parents'
preferences and potential role. The main topics here are parent opinions
about school; parents as partners; and parents as political pressure
groups.
Activities
Some of the course readings will be discussed at each class session.
Student reaction p:pers (see below) will often precede the discussion,
which will try to arrive at some consensus about the importance and
relevance of the m&terial and to propose ways in which practitioners can
make use of the inbrmation provided to improve schooling for children.
Additionally, a series of cases involving teacher work in schools will
provide a focus for subgroup activities. Students will also be asked to
present relevant infrmation on school work issues to the class for
analysis.
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Lieberman, A., & Miller, L. (1979). The social realities of teaching. In A.
Lieberman & L. Miller (Eds.), Staff development: New demands. new
realities, new perspectives. New York: Teachers College, Columbia
University.
Schools as social institutions:
Quality/Climate
Lessard, C. (1987). Equality and inequality in Canadian education.
Chapter 13 in Ghosh, R. & Ray, D. (Eds.), Social change and education
in Canada. Toronto: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanvich.
Wilson, B.I. (1985). The school assessment survey. Educational
Leadership, 42(6), 50-53.
*Rowan B., Bossert, S.T., & Dwyer, D.C. (1983, April). Research on
effective schools: A cautionary note. Educational Researcher,
12(4),
24-
31.
*Metz M.H. (April, 1988). "The American High School": A universal drama
amid disparate experience. A paper presented at the Annual Meeting of
the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans.
Students and schools:
Manley-Casimir, M., & Sussel, T. (1987). The chartered path: The new
rights reality in Canadian society. Chapter 12 in Ghosh, R. & Ray, D.
(Eds.), Social change and education in Canada. Toronto: Harcourt,
Brace, Jovanovich.
Esbensen, S.B. (1987. Student rights in Canada: Beyond equality issues.
Chapter 14 Ghosh, R. & Ray, D. (Eds.), Social change and education in
Canada. Toronto: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
Werner, W. (1987). Curriculum and socialization. Chapter 7 in Ghosh, R. &
Ray, D. (Eds.), Social change and education in Canada. Toronto:
Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
*Metz M.H. (April, 1988). Teachers' ultimate dependence on their students.
A paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational
Research Association, New Orleans.
Teachers and schools:
Working
*Lor
t
ie D.C. (1975). Perspectives on purpose.
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Chapter 5 in Schoolteacher.
Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press.
*Goodlad J.l. (1984). Inside classrooms. Chapter 4 in A place called
school. New York: McGraw-Hill.
*Goodlad J.l. (1984). Teachers and the circumstances of teaching.
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Chapter 6 in A place called school. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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Course Texts
Required: Ghosh, R., & Ray, D. (1987). Social chan
g
e and education in
Canada. Toronto: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
Recommended: Goodlad, J.l. (1984). A place called school. New York:
McGraw-Hill and Lortie, D.C. (1975) Schoolteacher. Chicago, Ill.:
University of Chicago Press.
An extensive list of readings is also required. A few copies will be made
available.
Evaluation will be based on class presentations, special assignments
including analyses of school practices, and a term paper. The allotment
of marks will be discussed at the first session.
Class Presentations: each student will be asked to make 3 or more
presentations in class. These will include reaction papers to
readings, which consist of a two-page summary of the main content of
reading, with a personal reaction to the points made by the original
author. Each reaction paper should conclude with some questions for
discussion by members of the class. The purpose of the paper is first
to assist in full understanding of the readihg, and second to stimulate
some discussion of the relevance and utility of the material to schools
and school people. Those readings considered suitable for reaction
papers are
starred*
In addition to these presentations each student
will make an in-class presentation on a special topic of interest to the
student but within the general parameters of the course. (If in doubt
about a topic, please ask me.)
Term Paper: each student will be asked to write a term paper of about
8 or more typed pages which contains the following sections:
introduction . general purpose of the paper, approach taken
literature review - description of some previous work on the
subject
recommendations for changes in practice which seem to be
supported by the literature references -
Citation format must
be that used in the course outline.
Course Readings
(in approximate order of use)
Schools as social instituticns:
Purposes and organizational features
Weick, K.E. (1976). Educational organizations as loosely coupled systems.
Administrative Science Quarterly, 21, 1-19.
Lawson, R.F., & Woock, R.R. (1987). Policy and policy actors in Canadian
education. Chapter 9 in Ghosh, R. & Ray, D. (Eds.), Social change and
education in Canada. Toronto: Harcourt, trace, Jovanovich.
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*Lortie D.C. (1975). Endemic uncertainties. Chapter 6 in Schoolteacher.
Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press.
*Bruckerhoff, C. (April, 1988). Teachers at work: A case study of collegial
behavior in a high school. A paper presented at the Annual Meeting of
the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans.
Teachers and schools:
Professional considerations
Gillis, G. (1987). The expectations of the teaching profession. Chapter 2 in
Ghosh, A. & Ray, D. (Eds.), Social change and education in Canada.
Toronto: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
Dickinson, G. (1987). The legal dimensions of teachers' duties and
authority. Chapter 15 in Ghosh, R. & Ray, D. (Eds.), Social change and
education in Canada. Toronto: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
*Duke D.L., Showers, B.K., and Imber, M. (1980). Teachers and shared
decision-making: The costs and benefits of involvement. Educational
Administration Quarterly, J, 93-106.
*Blase J.J. (1987). Dimensions of effective school leadership. The
teachers' perspective. Educational Administration Quarterly,
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(4), 589-
610.
*Trachtman A., & Levine, M. (April, 1988). Towards a definition of teacher
leadership. A paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American
Educational Research Association, New Orleans.
*Little J.W. (1982). Norms of collegiality and experimentation. American
Educational Research Journal,
j ,
325-340.
Coleman, P. (1986c).
british columbia school district. A paper presented at the World
Congress on Education and Technology, Vancouver, May, 1986.
Teachers and schools:
Development
*McLaughlin M.W., & Marsh, D.W. (1979). Staff development and school
change. In A. Lieberman & L. Miller (Eds.), Staff development: New
demands, new realities, new perspectives. New York: Teachers
College, Columbia University.
*Guskey, Thomas R. (1986). Staff development and the process of teacher
change. Educational Researcher, i(5), 5-12.
*Griffin G.A., & Barnes, S. (1986). Using research findings to change
school and classroom practices: Results of an experimental study.
American Educational Research Journal, 2(4), 572-586.
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Teachers and schools:
Rewards, Incentives, Negotiations
*Johnson S.M. (1983). Performance-based staff layoffs in the public
schools: Implementation and outcomes. In J.V. Baidridge and T. Deal
(Eds.), The dynamics of organization
p
l change in education. Berkeley,
CA: McCutchan, 426-450.
*Hoogeveen K., & Gutkin, T.B. (1986). Collegial ratings among school
personnel: An empirical examination of the merit pay concept. American
Educational Research Journal, j(3), 375-381.
*Lortie D.C. (1975). Career and work rewards. Chapter 4 in
Schoolteacher. Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press.
Summary of Chapter 6, "School governance and collective bargaining", in
Cresswell, A.M., & Murphy, M.J. Teachers, unions, and collective
bargaining. Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Parents and schools:
The uneasy alliance
Livingstone, D.W., & D. Hart (1987). The people speak: Public attitudes
toward schooling in Canada. Chapter 1 in Ghosh, R. & Ray, D. (Eds.),
Social change and education in Canada. Toronto: Harcourt, Brace,
Jovanovich.
*Louis K.S. (April, 1988). Social and community values and the quality of
teacher work life. A paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
American Educational Research Association, New Orleans.
*Epstein J.L. (1985). A question of merit: Principals' and parents'
evaluations of teachers. Educational Researcher, .14(7), 3-10.
*Fullan M. (1982). The parent and the community. Chapter 12 in fli
meaning of educational change. Toronto, Ont.: Ontario Institute for
Studies in Education Press.
*Lightfoot S.L. (1979).. Families and schools. In Walberg, W. (Ed.)
Educational environments and effects. Berkeley, CA: McCutchan.
Magsino, R. (1987). The family: Parents' and childrens' rights. Chapter 16
in Ghosh, A. & Ray, D. (Eds.), Social change and education in Canada.
Toronto: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
*Andrews R.L. (1987). The school-community interface: Strategies of
community involvement. In Goodlad, J. (ed.). The ecology of school
renewal. Eighty-sixth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of
Education, Part 1. Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press.
Coleman, P. (1982). The closing of Howden School. McGill Journal of
Education, .1Z(3), 263-284.
Coleman, P. (1979). Parent opinion survey, 1979. Unpublished report.
