Sociology of Education on School organization

1. 1
School organization

2. 2
School organization [Gómez Ferri, J. y Soler Panadés, V. 2011 Sociología del currículo y de la
organización escolar. At Beltrán, J. and Hernàndez, F.J. Sociología de la educación, McGraw-Hill, Madrid,101-128]
Schools, differ from each other
in terms of:
functioning
educational levels
ownership public/private
management team
implication
income level
families
neighbourhood
cultural capital
relationships among teachers
equipment or furniture
architecture
infrastructure condition
size
resources
Current society understood as a
society of organizations
most have been born in an
organization, and we study and
work in organizations
many of the goals we pursue are
the ones of the organizations to
which we belong furniture layout
teaching methods
student body
…

3. 3
History of school organization [Gómez Ferri, J. y Soler Panadés, V. 2011 Sociología del currículo
y de la organización escolar. At Beltrán, J. and Hernàndez, F.J. Sociología de la educación, McGraw-Hill,
Madrid,101-128]
Bureaucratic
organization M. Weber
Technocratic
model of
organization
Taylorism and Fordism
The School of
Human Relations
E. Mayo
Specialization (responsibilities, functions and tasks),
hierarchy (control system), rules (written and
impersonal) recruitment (merit and ability) [in school is
evident in legislation, administration, specialization,
regulations, discipline, schedules, and less than hierarchy
or impersonality]
(Post)modern
period
Scientific management via fragmentation of the
production process in its most basic elements increasing
efficiency, control and alienation.
[inertia of the past in terms repetition mechanism and
looking for a similar type of school product, rigidity of
hours, detailed planning and measurement (PISA)]
The SHR found that the performance of workers, rather
than the whole organization, the hierarchy, the control or
the wage increase was related to the incentives and
social norms of the groups within the organization,
especially relations among individuals within groups
[informal groups, democratic schools]
Calls for bridging less
hierarchical relationships,
reduced specialization,
adaptability and flexibility.
From the work by objectives to
competences

4. 4
School organization [Gómez Ferri, J. y Soler Panadés, V. 2011 Sociología del currículo y de la
organización escolar. At Beltrán, J. and Hernàndez, F.J. Sociología de la educación, McGraw-Hill, Madrid,101-128]
Schools as peculiar
organizations
Ownership, gradation, no election of its members,
controlling the work of employees and customers.
Null: funding and financing, architecture, hours of
materials, school day, teachers or teaching hours
based curriculum
Partial: teachers, optional programs
Wide: textbooks, expanding the curriculum or
changes in schedule, or develop specific educational
projects, dates of assessments
Public Administration / Teachings / Ownership /
Environment
The autonomy of
schools
Context elements of
educational
organizations
Elements of
educational
organizations
History, culture and identity / Stakeholders / The
premises and the building, equipment / Functions and
objectives of the centers / Curriculum divide,
Groupings, school space and time (streaming &
tracking) / Power and participation in schools

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School organization [Subirats i Humet, J. (coord.) (2002). La importancia del territorio y la comunidad
en el papel de la escuela. Barcelona, Ariel. ]
District school
Good level of territorial engagement
but low level of identification with an
educational project
Community school
strong territorial involvement, active
acceptance of diversity and strong
identification with an educational
project
Utilitarian school
low involvement and low educational
project identification
Identity school
strong identification of its components
in an educational project but no
territorial implications (seeks
homogeneity)
(defined bit) (well defined)Educational project identification
Territorialengagement
(strong implication)
(weak implication)

6. 6
Sociology of the curriculum [Feito, R. 2003. Alumnado. At Fernández Palomares, F. (coord.)
Sociología de la educación. Pearson, Madrid 333-356]
Critical approaches (Apple, Bernstein, Young and Giroux) question the technocratic
approach based on effectiveness and results.
With the curriculum it can be generated more egalitarian relationships that allow
overcoming control and power.
The social and historical
construction of the curriculum
The curriculum has a social nature and
curricular proposals evolve in relation
to the social. The criteria on what goes
in also respond to curricular interests
and power relations
For Bernstein the content of curricula may be
more or less limited (bounded), and the
reference frame (the control of the
pedagogical relationship) can also be more or
less strong. The communication model he
proposed implies that both should be weak.

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Sociology of the curriculum [Feito, R. 2003. Alumnado. At Fernández Palomares, F. (coord.)
Sociología de la educación. Pearson, Madrid 333-356]
In the classroom there are two types of claims in both the relationships
between students and teachers and between students themselves.
Schools that base their relations on pretensions of validity achieve
better work environment, motivation and solidarity, but also better
academic results.
Habermas theory of
communicative action
Power claims: based on the
position of power by means of force
Validity claims are based on arguments
(regardless of the position of power)
Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall a http://youtu.be/PDl6iuku_mw

8. 8

9. 9
Sociology of the curriculum [Feito, R. 2003. Alumnado. At Fernández Palomares, F. (coord.)
Sociología de la educación. Pearson, Madrid 333-356]
The selection of specific cultural knowledge by the school is arbitrary
and responds to the interests, ideology and culture of the groups that
make the selection (hegemonic class)
Changes and new approaches in the selection of knowledge
(sustainability, equality,...) are partial solutions that do not address the
problems directly and therefore do not prevent students from valuating
‘traditional’ assumptions
Segregation (or performance grouping) has not given satisfactory
results, more on the contrary, heterogeneous grouping has more
favorable results in both performance and student interaction.
The communicative perspective in education, besides analyzing how
they reproduce ideologies through school knowledge, analyzes how to
create new meanings and knowledge
School
knowledge

10. 10

11. 11
Sociology of the curriculum [Feito, R. 2003. Alumnado. At Fernández Palomares, F. (coord.)
Sociología de la educación. Pearson, Madrid 333-356]
Homogeneous or heterogeneous groups, school schedules, distribution
and the use of space are all curricular issues
When the organization develops traditional school practices
(hierarchical and elitist) reproduces social inequalities
Pedagogies that overcome those practices work from the
democratization of these elements, creating space and time for the
participation of all social and educational agents
Pedagogical
practices,
space and time

12. 12
Sociology of the curriculum [Feito, R. 2003. Alumnado. At Fernández Palomares, F. (coord.)
Sociología de la educación. Pearson, Madrid 333-356]
Is a form of controlling what is learned which purpose is the selection of
people who will assume certain responsibilities in our societies.
However, the current assessment process hides a social division, by using
the latent hierarchy to maintain the social fabric
The game of approved/failed generalized in assessment procedures is an
element of power as it is not a neutral or objective process, it collaborate
in signaling students and creating low expectations on children from
disadvantaged families
There are alternatives to the dominant evaluation systems that overcome
control and social division, and focus on skills rather than on deficits
The
evaluation
system

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Sociology of the curriculum [Feito, R. 2003. Alumnado. At Fernández Palomares, F. (coord.)
Sociología de la educación. Pearson, Madrid 333-356]
Hidden curriculum is perhaps more important than the explicit regarding
the creation and transmission of meaning and ideology
Hidden curriculum are all aspects which are often not explained nor
discussed (not explicit), transmitted to students through formal
structures underlying the contents and forms of social relations that
occur at school
Deep structures, expectations of teachers, praise, monitoring and
evaluation forms, organizing peer relationships ... are the mechanisms by
which students acquire knowledge and beliefs about justice, nature
knowledge, authority or self-value
The hidden curriculum is veiled to the interest of
communication. A democratic curriculum facilitates dialogue
with all people and all aspects of teaching and learning
The hidden
curriculum