Educators\' perceptions of school climate and health in selected primary schools

Abstract

The aims in this research were to determine the perceptions of school climate
held by educators of primary schools in the southern Cape. Six primary schools with a staff complement of 178 educators participated in the investigation. Two instruments were used: the Organisational Climate Description Questionnaire Rutgers Elementary (OCDQ-RE) and Dimensions of Organisational Health Inventory of Elementary Schools (OHI-E). The results indicated that primary school educators in the southern Cape perceived their relations with their principals as closed, while educator-educator relations were perceived as more open. An engaged school climate was taken as the typical prototype for the relevant primary
schools. Average health profiles were drawn for the overall organisational health of primary schools. A significant relationship was found between primary schools' perceptions of organisational climate and organisational health. A significant difference was found between perceptions held by educators from different primary schools regarding the various dimensions of organisational climate and health. These findings have significant implications for the implementation of change in schools, educators' job satisfaction, motivation,
productivity, well-being, and learner achievement.

Keywords: educators' perceptions; health profiles; job satisfaction; organisational climate; organisational health; productivity; school climate; school health

South African Journal of Education Vol. 29 (1) 2009: pp. 33-52