Exploring the role of the head teacher in developing culture of teamwork among teachers
Date of Award
8-1-2008
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Education (M. Ed.)
Department
Institute for Educational Development, Karachi
Abstract
The development of teamwork culture has been considered in the literature as a positive effort for school development, as it brings co-operation, friendliness, and warmth. The headteacher's role as a key actor has been emphasized in developing culture of teamwork. This study focuses on understanding headteacher's role in developing culture of teamwork among teachers. The study was conducted in two sections (junior and senior) of one of the private secondary schools in Karachi, Pakistan. Within the qualitative design, a case study approach had been undertaken to explore a headteacher's role in developing a culture of teamwork. Semi-structured interviews, informal discussions, observations, and document reviews were used to generate the data. The study explored the perceptions of different stakeholders regarding the teamwork culture and the role that the headteacher performs in developing the culture of teamwork. It also investigated the strategies that the headteachers used and found the challenges they faced in this process. The culture of teamwork has been considering in the study from an ethical perspective. The study revealed relationships based on respect, care, support and encouragement. An integral role of the headteacher appeared in the study. The findings suggest that the headteacher roles; such as of, care taker, coordinator, mentor and peer-coach, decision-maker, facilitator and guide and trust-builder, are vital in developing a collaborative team culture in the school. The findings of the study revealed that teamwork culture maintains a healthy climate, builds trust, brings down isolation, enhances risk-taking and leads to collective form of making decisions and solving problems. The research also draws the lessons learnt from the study, illustrates implications for headteacher and teachers, and gives recommendations for further study.
Recommended Citation
Mansurov, M. (2008). Exploring the role of the head teacher in developing culture of teamwork among teachers (Unpublished master's dissertation). Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.