Individual power of teachers in the informal social structure of selected elementary schools.

Abstract

This study investigated the individual power of teachers as subordinates in elementary schools. It focused on the informal social structure in "good" elementary schools and the roles played by principals, teachers who held formal governance positions, itinerant teachers, and participants in the district's career ladder pilot program. Roles sampled were (1) providers of moral support, (2) sources of teaching expertise, (3) dispensers of procedural information, and (4) those able to "get things done" in the school. Peer and principal dependency data were also collected. Teachers and principals in five elementary schools in a single school district were sampled twice in a two year period. Findings were: (1) Although "good" principals received high total scores for providing resources to the faculty, there were instances when individual teachers scored as high or higher than the principal. (2) Faculty and principals depended on providers of moral support more than they depended on any of the traditionally power-producing roles. (3) Teachers depended on peers mostly for moral support, less for teaching expertise and "getting things done," and least for information. Teachers depended on the principal for moral support and information, less for "getting things done," and least for teaching expertise. (4) Full-time classroom teachers and specialists were most active in the social structure. Part-time teachers, itinerant teachers, and special services personnel, such as psychologists, speech/language pathologists, etc., were not key participants. Some full-time teachers, such as fine arts, physical education, and self-contained special education teachers were less active. (5) Teachers holding formal governance positions in the school established or gained influence while holding the formal positions, and they apparently did not lose influence the year after leaving the positions. Formal positions were held by full-time classroom teachers and only occasionally by a specialist. (6) Career ladder candidates or participants established or gained influence in the school's social structure during the career ladder process. Itinerant teachers and individuals who teach specialized curricula were more active in the career ladder program than they were in the school governance network.