Leadership teams supporting teacher wellbeing by improving the culture of an Australian secondary school

Authors

Geoffrey W. Lummis, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Julia E. Morris, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Catherine Ferguson, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Susan Hill, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Graeme Lock, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Issues in Educational Research

Volume

32

Issue

1

First Page

205

Last Page

224

Publisher

Australia's Institutes for Educational Research in New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia

School

School of Education

RAS ID

43685

Comments

Lummis, G. W., Morris, J. E., Ferguson, C., Hill, S., & Lock, G. (2022). Leadership teams supporting teacher wellbeing by improving the culture of an Australian secondary school. Issues in Educational Research, 32(1), 205-224. http://www.iier.org.au/iier32/lummis-abs.html

Abstract

This research explored teachers’ experiences of school and their work-related wellbeing, from the perspective that work-related wellbeing is an organisational responsibility. A single case study was enacted in an urban Western Australian secondary school to explore the relationship between school organisational health and teacher wellbeing. A mixed method pre-test phase determined professional growth, professional interaction and role clarity were areas of organisational health that yielded divergent responses from staff. Subsequently, the school’s leadership team implemented interventions to improve these domains, and post-intervention data collection was conducted 18 months later to determine any changes. Qualitative data showed improvements in the professional growth and professional interaction domains, with staff reporting that professional learning summary sessions and mentoring conversations between teachers and the principal were beneficial strategies to improve teachers’ school experiences. Role clarity was not so easily addressed, as the school suffered a series of crisis events during the research process that resulted in an emphasis on improving student services roles within the school. Consequently, role clarity was not achieved across the whole school staff. The qualitative data describe the complexity of addressing teacher wellbeing through organisational health, and specific strategies that leadership teams can implement to develop a supportive, collaborative staff culture at school.

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