Cultural assets : a model for school effectiveness in the Anglican tradition

Abstract

Cultural assets in schools need reconceptualisation. The focus of this multi-disciplinary theoretical study is to reconceptualise cultural assets by considering the shortcomings of existing cultural concepts and the benefits of reconceptualisation. A cultural assets model is developed and tested in a single Anglican school using multigenerational flows of influence, community cultural activities and communication by the use of rich data collected from a single case study school. Finally, the focus redirects to applying the analysis of a faith based Anglican school to other schools within the tradition and those outside the tradition. Such analysis assists in highlighting beneficial cultural assets supporting school effectiveness, compared to twentieth century studies using deficit and difference approaches to analyse cultural contexts relating to schools have influenced educational research and general political thinking concerning fragmentation, segregation and faith schools in post-colonial states. I contend that this influence leads to stretching the use of concepts such as 'cultural capital' beyond their original context and raises questions concerning the extent of their usefulness in a world characterised by globalisation, post-secularism and the rise of faith based schooling. Responding to these issues, this study extends the emerging assets-based approach to analysing cultural contexts within sociocultural studies. The findings of the study show 'Caring' as part of school effectiveness and professional practice. Caring within professional practice enables the teacher, school leadership, the organisation and the students to 'Stretch beyond the 3Rs' of reading, writing and arithmetic. The research successfully tested the model within the case study, modifying it to incorporate glocal (global/local) interactions and supporting the school as a cultural hub and contributor. The key benefits are schools that care take risks, and as dynamic organisations, schools that stretch engage their employees thus becoming more effective. The study makes recommendations to support school effectiveness in education policy, employment policy, teacher education and school organisation.

Date of Award	2013
Original language	English