| Abstract | Learning in Harmony: a narrative case study to explore ethos creation and subsequent lessons for leadership
Schools shape future generations and play an enormous role in the support and learning of our young people. The vision of a school and how it determines an ethos or school climate, is often seen as a central part of the drive and development of the learning community. As educators, we must consider how and by whom, a vision is established, articulated and communicated, and what makes it become a shared belief, seen in both policy and practice.
This research is an ethnographic case study considering a specific learning environment, The Music House, over a period of 15 years from 1990 to 2005, through the retrospective adult narratives of students, staff and trainee teachers involved during this time. Questionnaires, interviews and group discussions involving a sample drawn from respondents, were analysed and evaluated in a consideration of how the climate of the Music House was introduced and developed, looking at the nature of participants involvement, their understanding of the vision, how it was shaped, understood and absorbed, and occasions when values were demonstrated and challenged.
With three central themes of relationships, safety and opportunities growing from the research, the narratives give a unique student viewpoint, through adult eyes over a substantial research period. The writing reflects experiences, feelings and ideas of the participants, treating them both as individuals, and identifying links and similarities in their thinking across the sample. There is a consideration of the legacy impact of the community on individuals. Findings are reviewed to highlight possible lessons to learn, particularly for leaders within the current educational climate, indicating elements of school life for priority, applicable in any school setting |
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