Teachers from all faculties were surveyed to discover if site-specific, community theatre can create change in an educational framework and how this change is demonstrated? This question hypothesizes the educational framework used as a backdrop for this study, requires change to work more effectively and as previously outlined, the term change entails moving from one state or position to another. Therefore, to effectively measure the personal
development experienced by the Duruga High School staff members involved in The
Journey, it is necessary to outline the initial attitudes of the study participants with regard to Duruga High School.
Personal Development – initial attitudes
During my focus interviews, staff discussed their levels of dissatisfaction retrospectively, leading up to their involvement in The Journey in 2012. This dissatisfaction was pervasive at Duruga High School; a view held by the majority of teachers interviewed who expressed their discontentment with their workplace and employment experiences. 13 of 15 staff members in this study expressed considerable despondency and feelings of powerlessness when discussing their occupation at Duruga High School (including Support/Administration Staff, Special Education Teachers, Classroom Teachers and Executive Teachers).
As Bob mentions, in the period before The Journey, staff morale was low; substantiated by waning participation at whole staff meetings and school social functions; for example, Christmas parties:
I’d say our Christmas party is our biggest thing and we’d be lucky to get half the staff to go... I think it’s important that’s why I try to organise them. Because it’s a hard job, teaching can be a hard job and I think sometimes to just let a bit of steam off or just have a chat with other people who are going through the same stresses is a good thing to do... but people don’t come. It could be the distances people have to travel... furthest to travel would be within two hours’ drive of each other I suppose. It could be an executive’s issue where it’s maybe not supported from all of the executives. Things often have to get led. I don’t know, maybe people just don’t value it the same as I do? (Bob, personal
communication, March 12, 2013).
Bob suggests a number of reasons for the decline in staff morale including: difficulties in attendance of school functions due to the school’s regional location, increasing workloads and a lack of executive support. This notion of a lack of support from the school’s
management team was common theme which emerged throughout the collected interview data. Quite often this theme was linked to feelings of inter-faculty rivalry, where staff
recorded feeling like they were pitted against each other for access to limited resources; thus, were encouraged to compete, rather than work together as united personnel:
I don’t think everyone in our staff room is on that kind of power trip ‘look at us’ but that seems to be the perception. I haven’t felt like this at any other school I’ve worked in... it’s weird, it’s like why do you have to be like this? We are a team. The same team. Why is there such competitiveness between faculties? The top – it starts from the top because we all used to be tight. The whole staff used to be tight and supportive and use the common room... we don’t get time, we used to talk more – each staff room wasn’t so individual... staff need to make time to be sociable (Felicity, personal communication, August 11, 2013). The school was more like a political landscape where people have particular interests and they group together in clandestine meetings that everyone does not have access to and they make power groups to force for their particular interests among other things. I’m not particularly good at politics (Steve, personal
communication, November 4, 2013).
I think maybe there are some here who just gave up, been here too long, maybe don’t have the energy to give. Maybe they have tried different things and it hasn’t worked for them or they haven’t had the support... I think people had gone into the boss with this great idea and he’s knocked it on the head... and that’s terrible, it’s really hard because it makes you feel like you are unvalued or unworthy (Karen, personal communication, August 13, 2013).
Here Karen echoes the sentiments expressed by many members of staff interviewed for this study, when communication is not valued in the school environment, segregation tends to occur between faculties, instead of collegial co-operation. However, this last comment also highlights low staff morale on a personal level; where feelings of under-valuation and low self-worth were taking effect, resulting in individual isolation and apathy.
These samples taken from individual interviews highlight the level of staff dissatisfaction prevalent in the school leading up to The Journey. The teachers in the study didn’t feel like they had a ‘voice’ anymore and so reported feeling disengaged with the school through a lack of opportunities for collegial networking. There was an atmosphere of competition and unconditional compliance which saw staff retreat further into segregation and resentment: “Staff meetings at the school are one of the most appalling things I have ever been to, they
could put it all in a staff memo and give it to me, they don’t want input from me, why am I there?” (Mary, personal communication, November 3, 2013). Individuals felt isolated and unsupported and this had a detrimental effect on their sense of self-worth and teaching
capacities. These feelings, when experienced by staff at the school, have the potential to filter throughout the whole school culture. The school’s executive stated that the personal
satisfaction of the staff was not a priority of Duruga High School and “...that if it was nice for staff that’s ok, but if it doesn’t impact on learning and doesn’t make it better for the kids then it’s not at the top at my priorities list” (Nigel, personal communication, November 6, 2013). This quote, from the school Principal of Duruga High School, highlights the institution’s philosophy regarding teacher well-being. We can conclude from this quote that the executive of the school does not believe that teacher satisfaction is directly linked to effective teaching practice and it is ‘nice’ if the staff are happy, but not essential for the school to operate effectively. This observation is further evidenced by the annual interviews conducted at the school regarding teacher progress, which are essentially designed for observing and
evaluating teaching practices and results. The staff who were interviewed for this study reported that the Executive Teachers conducting review interviews are not obliged to enquire as to the well-being and personal satisfaction of staff members at any time. The annual progress interviews have been used as tools for evaluating teacher performance; without considering the role personal well-being may play in a quality teaching model.
The data collected in this study from fifteen staff members indicates that the majority of staff respondents were not happy in their relationship with their school and personal satisfaction was not acknowledged or considered a priority by the school’s administration staff. This sentiment is not uncommon and recent Australian studies have demonstrated that the personal dissatisfaction of school teachers in their classrooms is a widespread issue. The Australian Council for Educational Research nationwide survey Staff in Australian Schools found that only 38% of secondary teachers felt like they were valued by their communities and 42% felt like they had to do more clerical work than actual teaching (Mckenzie, Rowley, Weldon, Murphy, 2011, p. 100). The report also stated that teachers in rural schools are less satisfied with their jobs than teachers in cosmopolitan schools (Mckenzie, Rowley, Weldon, Murphy, 2011, p. 100) – supporting the argument that staff satisfaction may be something that requires attention alongside student satisfaction in Duruga High School. Given the ACER evidence regarding the dissatisfaction of teachers in the workforce generally and through the results regarding the personal satisfaction of teachers in this study, Duruga High School is no
exception to this finding. However, the staff responses regarding morale post Journey through involvement in the whole school arts project are predominantly constructive and provide insights into how whole school projects may improve staff satisfaction.
Personal Development – Post Journey
The personal evolutions experienced by staff through their participation in The Journey were recorded as being predominantly positive and empowering; the only critical data collected was with respect to the school’s culture prior to the whole school production. The staff that performed in The Journey, either in an acting or a musical role, had little theatre experience (4 out of 30 had previous theatre experience). However, this lack of familiarity with the arts did not inhibit participation in The Journey. Teachers said they set particular goals at the beginning of the production process and worked through obstacles to achieve these objectives and develop their connections with the school and the community:
I played the part of Cyclops and I took that part on because I’m a little bit shy and I was allowed to stand behind a screen and only have a shadow showing so I thought that would be fun. I’d had a major operation leading up to it so I was very keen to get back and be part of the performance because that meant I was able to do all the normal things. I couldn’t spend a lot of time learning the lines so I wound up writing the lines on post it notes and sticking them all over my arms but no-one could see, so that worked really well (Steve, personal
communication, November 4, 2013).
I’d never done anything like that before so to me any sort of acting was a brand- new thing so I just tried to embrace the moment. Take whatever changes
happened. I’m not much of an artistic person normally so for me it was great to have that chance to go from Computer Studies teacher and evolve into Zeus... the other students in the school got to see me in a different light. Students that I had never spoken to would come up to me in the playground and say ‘Hello Sir, how’s it going?’ (Bob, personal communication, March 12, 2013).
Yes, I was nervous, but I guess I was fairly comfortable this time because it is my workplace and the stage was all around the school – places I was
comfortable with, but before you say your first line I’m still always nervous... I was lowered in a harness through a skylight that was removed, but after a few practice goes and after the first night I was pretty confident that the boys knew what they were doing so I got a bit more confident each night. I think there’s a photo of me still with a bit of a white-knuckle ride. I think I was more nervous about delivering my lines coming though, than I was about going through the skylight. It was really fun in the end. I’m the type of person where those things really don’t faze me too much... so it ended up being fun (Ron, personal communication, November 4, 2013).
I’m not a natural performer and it’s quite confronting to a lot of personalities that are quieter but then again, it’s the learning thing, like we said earlier – the challenge – but you block that out, up on stage that was terrifying – I was shitting myself... well performance is like that... and when you are out of your comfort zone, that’s when real learning takes place (Felicity, personal
communication, August 11, 2013).
These first-time staff performers come from different faculties in the school including English, Information Technology and Physical Education and all found the performing experience both challenging and rewarding. According to Ewing, the arts have the power to build self-esteem and work as a catalyst for personal development, learning, health and well- being (Ewing, 2010a, 2010b) and encourage play and development (Cameron, 1995) in people of all ages. The substantial personal development recorded here by teachers who initially reported feelings of low morale, poor self-esteem and dissatisfaction within the school environment pre Journey; to the antithesis, is noteworthy. The teachers involved in the study indicated in their interviews how the production, guided them out of their personal ‘comfort zones’ and feelings of being ‘shy’ and ‘nervous’ and allowed them the freedom to explore new skills, learn new things about themselves and their capabilities. Furthermore, the teachers recorded being seen in a ‘new light’; both internally as they viewed themselves differently, and externally as the other members of the school and its community viewed them differently. This is evidenced by the responses of community members who viewed the production, who had the following reflections when interviewed about the role and identity of teachers within a school environment:
When I saw a photo of the teachers with the band and with the choir, it gave me a different impression because often you look at teachers and you go ‘well, they are just teachers’, but this kind of reminds you that they are people beyond the teacher that have all these other interests that you don’t necessarily think of and it forms a bond with the students that I think is really important (Alex, personal
communication, December 16, 2013).
As the staff began to show off their skills and interests in a public arena, their identity evolved; thus, bringing their self-perception into alignment with society’s perception of their identity and worth. The Duruga High School staff had found new reasons to believe in their ability, reinforced by the general public’s belief in their ability. This process of personal development produced feelings of rejuvenation and empowerment for the staff at Duruga High School in multi-faceted, innovative ways.
Throughout the rehearsal and performance process of The Journey, staff began to value their skills base and input into Duruga High School again; creating a personal revitalisation of connections to the physical spaces: individual, corporeal and communal. The experience of achieving these individual goals encouraged the staff to view their work situation in a different light and the staff began to set similar goals of development for their contiguous environments. Maslow (1954) argues when we feel good about ourselves and our
achievements; we are inclined to want to reflect this through our proximate surroundings (Maslow, 1954, p. 45) and this flow on effect can be particularly worthwhile in a school setting where classroom and playground spaces are shared.
School Environment
The executive of Duruga High School believes the parents in the community allow external, physical presentations of the school to inform their judgement of the school’s effectiveness and the quality of the education offered at Duruga High School:
The school has got to have a really good public face because parents are so superficial that they judge schools on how well the students wear the uniform and what the buildings look like, not what happens in the classroom, so we do have to pander to that, it does grate on me a little bit but that is the reality. So, I
would change the physical environment if I could (Graeme, personal communication, November 20, 2013).
The majority of teachers interviewed for the study listed the physical environment as the first thing they would change about Duruga High School to make it a more effective place for teaching and learning. This improvement in physical appearance was recorded as leading to an increase in feeling ‘safe’ and ‘secure’ inside the school grounds and also an enhancement of feelings of pride and a willingness to be inside the school buildings and grounds; a pre- requisite for effective learning. Staff participants commented:
The environment first and foremost, just general beautification to make it a place where the kids like to be (Tom, personal communication, November 20, 2013).
We need to make the playground spaces more appealing and give students a sense of pride in being here. A lot of students will say ‘this school is a dump, it’s crummy’ because it’s physically not in good condition. There are physical aspects of this school which make it oppressive. The school drastically needs a facelift. It’s been allowed to run into disrepair and what students see affects their behaviour. I subscribe to the broken window effect22 (Graeme, personal
communication, November 11, 2013).
Fences in schools are there to protect the student population. Those of us that work in schools know it’s to keep the students from sneaking off. It will decrease truancy and drug abuse because we will be able to supervise the students a lot better. I think it’s going to make a huge difference. The actual environment of the school is another thing we talked about even before National Partnerships. We talked about beautifying the place and the classrooms. I think it is essential because if the place looks good students want to be here, they want to learn if the environment around them is good and I think that has been
overlooked as well (Steve, personal communication, November 4, 2013).
22 The ‘broken window effect’ was introduced by social scientists Wilson, & Kelling in 1982 which implies if
an area is unkempt, vandalised and broken, the inhabitants of that area are more likely to behave in an unruly, disorderly way.
I’d relocate the school. I think we are hemmed in by this creek. It’s in a really bad area. I would change the overall look of the school, when you drive past you can’t even see where the front office is. There is a just a big mound of trees and shrubs and everyone says it’s a garden, but it looks absolutely horrible and I think that reflects sometimes on the type of school we are (Carol, personal communication, November 4, 2013).
All of the staff commented that they would improve access to resources, shrink class sizes and develop communication as alternate means to improve learning outcomes, but
predominantly stated ‘physical transformation’ as their action to improve student
engagement. The teachers felt stifled by their work atmosphere and furthermore, felt that the students had lost pride in their environment. They felt that if the students identified with a place that was so run down, that they didn’t have to care for it and this negative reaction to their physical learning spaces was having a detrimental effect on their desire and ability to learn. Dewey, Sobel and Smith suggest that reconnecting students with their environment will help them care about how that space is governed (Dewey, 1938, p. 43; Smith and Sobel, 2010, p. 8; Sobel, 2005, p. 2). The 2010 Environmental Education Policy for NSW Schools outlines the importance of re-connecting students to the external spaces they inhabit to improve spatial awareness and to encourage the students and their communities to interact with their environment in new and innovative ways (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010). Findings from the Fair Go Project, based on research into student engagement conducted by researchers from the University of Western Sydney (School of Education and Early Childhood Studies) and the Priority Schools Programs, formerly PSFP (NSW Department of Education and Training), concluded that feeling connected to learning spaces and like an ‘insider’ is a key element in engaged learning:
Students feel that they belong in these classrooms as the physical space of the classroom represents a home for them... in the ‘insider’ classroom, the