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STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE WITHIN THE TWENTY-FOUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS OF BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

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Date Issued:
1974
Summary:
The purpose of this study was to ascertain if the existence of climate could be verified within the twenty-four middle schools of Broward County, Florida. As these schools have both the open and traditional types of construction it was proposed that, if climate could be identified, there would be differing parameters of climate between the two school types. A total of 330 teachers at the eighth grade level were administered a thirty-seven item version of the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire. Evaluation of these data was developed in three separate analyses. The analyses were performed on the total group of teachers, the teachers in the traditional schools and those in the open or flexible environment. The analyses were performed by utilizing the method of factor analysis and varimax rotation. The principal factor matrix of each analysis was rotated until eight dimensions were forthcoming. The statistical requirement imposed on each rotation was that dimensions have an eigenvalue of not less than one, and that over fifty percent of the total variance be explained. As a result, eight dimensions were produced for each analysis. The highest factor loadings on each dimension were utilized to interpret the contents of the dimension. As a result of this interpretation it was discovered that the labels developed by Halpin and Croft were appropriate for the emerging dimensions. There were two apparently significant results of this study. The first was that the existence of climate was supported by each analysis of the data and that these climate classifications were similar to those identified by Halpin and Croft. The second result was that there were differences between t he perceptions of climate by the teachers in the traditional school environment and those in the flexible school environment. These differences were primarily evident in the principal thrust, principal consideration, and the esprit dimensions. The statements in the principal thrust dimension for the traditional schools identified a more forma l and work oriented perception of the administrator, The statements in t his dimension for the flexible schools were more oriented to principal consideration. It appeared that teachers perceived a different relationship with the principal in the flexible schools than in the traditional schools. The esprit dimension for the flexible schools emerged as a definite classification of climate, but in the traditional schools this dimension did not appear. There is evidence to support the concept that more than organizational structure c an influence the climate of a school. With the development of the open method of school construction, there is a need to consider the climate implications of this change in the physical environment, and the possibilities posed with regard to effects on teacher behavior.
Title: A STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE WITHIN THE TWENTY-FOUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS OF BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA.
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Name(s): PRUTSMAN, JACK DAMON
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1974
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 74 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The purpose of this study was to ascertain if the existence of climate could be verified within the twenty-four middle schools of Broward County, Florida. As these schools have both the open and traditional types of construction it was proposed that, if climate could be identified, there would be differing parameters of climate between the two school types. A total of 330 teachers at the eighth grade level were administered a thirty-seven item version of the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire. Evaluation of these data was developed in three separate analyses. The analyses were performed on the total group of teachers, the teachers in the traditional schools and those in the open or flexible environment. The analyses were performed by utilizing the method of factor analysis and varimax rotation. The principal factor matrix of each analysis was rotated until eight dimensions were forthcoming. The statistical requirement imposed on each rotation was that dimensions have an eigenvalue of not less than one, and that over fifty percent of the total variance be explained. As a result, eight dimensions were produced for each analysis. The highest factor loadings on each dimension were utilized to interpret the contents of the dimension. As a result of this interpretation it was discovered that the labels developed by Halpin and Croft were appropriate for the emerging dimensions. There were two apparently significant results of this study. The first was that the existence of climate was supported by each analysis of the data and that these climate classifications were similar to those identified by Halpin and Croft. The second result was that there were differences between t he perceptions of climate by the teachers in the traditional school environment and those in the flexible school environment. These differences were primarily evident in the principal thrust, principal consideration, and the esprit dimensions. The statements in the principal thrust dimension for the traditional schools identified a more forma l and work oriented perception of the administrator, The statements in t his dimension for the flexible schools were more oriented to principal consideration. It appeared that teachers perceived a different relationship with the principal in the flexible schools than in the traditional schools. The esprit dimension for the flexible schools emerged as a definite classification of climate, but in the traditional schools this dimension did not appear. There is evidence to support the concept that more than organizational structure c an influence the climate of a school. With the development of the open method of school construction, there is a need to consider the climate implications of this change in the physical environment, and the possibilities posed with regard to effects on teacher behavior.
Identifier: 11643 (digitool), FADT11643 (IID), fau:8580 (fedora)
Note(s): Thesis (Educat.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1974.
Subject(s): Middle schools--Florida--Broward County
Education--Florida--Broward County
Educational planning--Florida
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/11643
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.