School Cultural Values: Its Correlation to Teachers' Performance among Public Elementary Schools in Calabarzon

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Educational leaders and teachers greatly contribute in acquiring quality education. On the other hand, positive school cultural values can produce competent teachers having high performance rate. This study was conducted to explore on the possible correlation of school cultural values and the teachers' performance in public elementary schools in CALABARZON.

METHODS

This paper made use of a descriptive design in research. Teachers were asked to answer survey questionnaire that inquired of their age, sex, position, educational attainment and length of service in public elementary school. Also, they rated their own school in different school cultural values -power distance, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and collectivism/individualism. Teachers were also asked to provide data of their performance in terms of instructional competence, learning environment, personal growth and professional development. Fifteen (15) schools were randomly chosen for each of the groups of high performing, medium performing, and challenged schools based on average NAT results for three (3) consecutive years. In each school, five (5) teachers were randomly selected to serve as respondents of the study, making a total of 225.

RESULTS

None among the variables of teacher's profile, both for high performing and low performing schools, showed significant relationship with teacher's performance. For medium performing schools, age and position significantly relate to personal growth, professional developments and instructional competence. The null hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between teacher's profile and teacher's performance is partly sustained. For correlation between teacher's performance and school cultural values, personal growth and professional development are significantly related to high power distance for high performing schools. For medium and low performing schools, none among the variables of teachers' performance significantly relate to school cultural values. The null hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between teacher's performance and school cultural values is partly sustained.

DISCUSSIONS

Teacher's performance varies unpredictably with school culture. But it was noticed that as the level of femininity increases, the level of school, home and community linkages also increase. Factors suggested to be affecting teacher's performance are style of leadership, type of community where the school is, and support of local government to the school.