An analysis of the school culture of selected Divine Word Colleges

• Main Author: Rottuk, Justus M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2008
• Subjects: Schools > Social aspects; School environment; Schools; Divine World Colleges; Educational Leadership
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3762; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/10600/viewcontent/CDTG004551_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

This case study focused on analyzing the school culture of the six selected Divine Word Colleges in order to extract the actual Society of the Divine Word (SVD) school culture. It adapted a descriptive multiple case study with qualitative research design. Six colleges were selected for the study based on convenient sampling, and from each college eight respondents were selected, consisting of the representatives of the major stake holders. The officers of the student council were involved as participants of the study as well and the data collection scheme involved interviews, observation and documentary analysis. Scheins (1985) three levels of culture analysis and Deal and Petersons (1999) four elements of school culture were adapted and used as basis of the conceptual framework. The objective of the analytic case study was to investigate, identify and describe the distinctive features that characterize the actual SVD school culture. The findings revealed that the participating Divine Word Colleges envision themselves as evangelizing and educative communities, who are committed to offering holistic and quality Catholic education. The dominant value themes and the practices related to leadership, curriculum and instruction across the six colleges were also discussed. One of the conclusions of the study is that Witness to the Word is the unifying vision and characteristic that defines and moulds the institutional identity of the six Divine Word colleges. One of the recommendations is that through the campus ministry, the participant colleges could explore ways of developing specific SVD modules of integral human formation and spiritual programs for its members aimed at fostering bible based organizational spirituality centered on the theme of witnessing to the Word. Key Words: School culture, Catholic school administration.