FUNCTIONS OF

SOCIOLOGY IN
EDUCATION
Chapter 2
 define role of schools as organisations in
education

assess school’s purposes

examine organisational and school

structure

compare negative culture, coping school and ‘top

down’ to participatory management

Learning Outcomes
Schools as Organization

 In most societies, schools are the most important

organization that is geared towards young
people.

School consists of:

 group of people (educators, learners, principals),

 who work in different ways (learning, teaching,

managing, leading, supporting),

 to meet shared goals (educating young people,

providing T&L)
School’s Purposes
 Pass on knowledge, that is important to society, to its
young people.

 Pass on society’s values & social practices.

 Prepare people for the world of work.

 Play important part of the intellectual, personal and

social development of young people.

 Are places for social activities – where people meet,

make friends, play together.

Looking as schools as organization helps us understand how

they work & the challenges for leading & managing them
How are organizations structured?
The effect of management,
bureaucratic structures, technology,
to the systems of motivation &
learning established in organization

Organization Theory

• Each person is appointed

to a position.
Costs • Has clear tasks and
relates to other offices
according to fixed rules &
Organization procedures
(social structure) • Reporting structures &
Benefits lines of accountability &
responsibility are clearly set
out.
• Work is done in uniform
Organization
Most structured ways, no matter who
structure:
organization ‘holds the office’.
What people do, how BUREAUCRACY
they relate to each other
in the organization
How are organizations structured?

 Organizations often have hierarchical structures (where

the chains of commands, and people are responsible to
those above them).
 At these institutions, the higher the level in the
organization, the higher is the status.
 Most bureaucracies are hierarchical.
Organizational & School Structure
 The culture of organization: ‘the way things are done’ & refers
to various aspects of life in the school.
 Culture has something to do with:
 The values, beliefs & attitudes of the educators, learners &
parents.
 How educators and learners dress for school.
 How people in the organization speak to each other.
 How quickly educators and learners go to class when a bell
rings.
 What count as ‘work hard’.
 How people are expected to act when they are angry or
pleased.
 Rituals are an important part of a school culture – assemblies,
ceremonies, school uniform and songs. Rituals bring meaning to
organizations.
 Culture & structure go together in an organization, and both
must be addressed if an organization is to be developed.
Why Schools should be analyzed as
Organizations?

 Organizations have their own structures and cultures.

 The main task of managers and leader is to ensure the
organization works well.
 They need to set direction and get people to work
effectively and willingly toward shared goals.
 One way of trying to understand why schools succeed or
fail is to analyze them as an organization.
 Researchers have looked at schools where the culture of
teaching and learning has broken down.
 They have also looked at schools that are coping well in
very difficult conditions.
 Without doubt, school organization and culture make a
big difference.
Negative Culture in Schools

 The broken culture of Teaching & Learning

Bad relationship

Confusion (lack of information)

Not focused on teaching and learning

Blaming others – the crisis between

responsibilities & the principles of the school
Feature of Coping Schools

Focus on teaching and learning

Clear roles & responsibilities, active leadership

Safety – school & children

Culture of concern – time management,

sense of responsibilities
 • Principals lead rather than instruct
1 • The decision-making heirarchy becomes more
participative (creates responsibilities)
2

• The role we play become more flexible (empowering

participants)
3 • Responsibility is shared
4 • Creating a culture of learning rather than controlling
behaviour
5
• Leadership is about empowering participants, not
6 welding power
• Developing rather than delivering
7 • Commanding respect not through status, but stature
8

‘Top-down’ to Participatory Management

Thank You
Written Assessment 2
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Group :
Date :