TAYABAS WESTERN ACADEMY

Founded 1928
Recognize by the Government
Candelaria, Quezon

Name: Gonzales, Jomarc Cedrick T. Date: October 21,

2020
Course: BSED–III Filipino

Direction: Answer the questions briefly but accurately.

1. Define culture and school culture?

Culture consists of all the things we make and nearly everything that we
think and do, again, to the extent that what we make, think, and do is conditioned
by our experience of life in groups. The first thing to emphasize is that we are not
born with a culture like we are born with blue or brown eyes or black hair. We are
born into a culture, and we learn it by living in human social groups. The way this
idea is often expressed is to say that culture is something that is transmitted from
one generation to the next. This is how we become ‘enculturated.’ But we
humans are clever animals, so although much of what we make, think, and do is
a result of the cultural environment into which we were born, not every material
object that a person may make, or every thought, or every action is the result of
enculturation. Think about it for a moment. While much of what we call culture is
transmitted from generation to generation, new items of culture are invented from
time to time. That is to say, sometimes, some of us make things, think things, or
do things that are new and different. We are then either honored as innovators or
even geniuses, or we are punished as heretics or criminals, or dismissed as
eccentric, depending on how open or how closed our societies are to change.

The term school culture generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions,

relationships, attitudes, and written and unwritten rules that shape and influence
every aspect of how a school functions, but the term also encompasses more
concrete issues such as the physical and emotional safety of students, the
 orderliness of classrooms and public spaces, or the degree to which a school
embraces and celebrates racial, ethnic, linguistic, or cultural diversity. Like the
larger social culture, a school culture results from both conscious and
unconscious perspectives, values, interactions, and practices, and it is heavily
shaped by a school’s particular institutional history. Students, parents, teachers,
administrators, and other staff members all contribute to their school’s culture, as
do other influences such as the community in which the school is located, the
policies that govern how it operates, or the principles upon which the school was
founded.

2. What facets of life are Embedded within one's Culture and school Culture?
The most crucial facets of life are its values and beliefs. Values are a
culture’s standard for discerning what is good and just in society. Values are
deeply embedded and critical for transmitting and teaching a culture’s
beliefs. Beliefs are the tenets or convictions that people hold to be true.
Individuals in a society have specific beliefs, but they also share collective
values. Values help shape a society by suggesting what is good and bad,
beautiful and ugly, sought or avoided. Children represent innocence and purity,
while a youthful adult appearance signifies sexuality. Shaped by this value,
individuals spend their money on cosmetic products and surgeries to look young
and beautiful. Our country also has an individualistic culture, meaning people
place a high value on individuality and independence. In contrast, many other
cultures are collectivist, meaning the welfare of the group and group
relationships are a primary value. Values are not static; they vary across time
and between groups as people evaluate, debate, and change collective societal
beliefs. Values also vary from culture to culture. For example, cultures differ in
their values about what kinds of physical closeness are appropriate in public. It’s
rare to see two male friends or coworkers holding hands in the school where that
behavior often symbolizes romantic feelings. But in many nations, masculine
 physical intimacy is considered natural in public. A simple gesture, such as
hand-holding, carries great symbolic differences across cultures.

3. What about teaching Culture, is this the same as school culture?

No, it’s not the same. Teaching Culture is the process of attending to
people’s needs, experiences and feelings, and making specific interventions to
help them learn particular things. School culture refers to the way teachers and
other staff members work together and the set of beliefs, values, and
assumptions they share. A positive school climate and school culture promote
students' ability to learn.

4. Based on your observation, what school and teaching cultures can be

seen/observed here TWA?
Based on my observation, the school and teaching culture that can be
seen/observed in TWA is that there are conducive to professional satisfaction,
morale, and effectiveness, as well as to student learning, fulfillment, and well-
being. The following list is a representative selection of a few characteristics
commonly associated with school and teaching cultures:

a. The individual successes of teachers and students are recognized and

celebrated.
b. Relationships and interactions are characterized by openness, trust,
respect, and appreciation.
c. Staff relationships are collegial, collaborative, and productive, and all staff
members are held to high professional standards.
d. Students and staff members feel emotionally and physical safe, and the
school’s policies and facilities promote student safety.
e. School leaders, teachers, and staff members model positive, healthy
behaviors for students.
f. Mistakes not punished as failures, but they are seen as opportunities to
learn and grow for both students and educators.
 g. Students are consistently held to high academic expectations, and a
majority of students meet or exceed those expectations.
h. Important leadership decisions are made collaboratively with input from
staff members, students, and parents.
i. Criticism, when voiced, is constructive and well-intentioned, not
antagonistic or self-serving.
j. Educational resources and learning opportunities are equitably distributed,
and all students, including minorities and students with disabilities.
k. All students have access to the academic support and services they may
need to succeed.

5. Work on Activity 3 on p. 50.

Let’s talk! Interview a teacher, a principal, and a parent about their perspectives
on the following features of school culture according to Stoll (1998).

Name of the School: Pahinga Sur Elementary School

Address of the School: Brgy. Pahinga Sur Candelaria, Quezon.
Teachers Principal Parent
Questions
(M’Gonzales, M.C.) (M’Dela Peña, G.) (Mr. Gonzales, M.)
School's age School's age School's age has
impacts the school impacts the school an impact on
in terms of various when it comes to cultural change
How does the practices. some traditions, because they can
school’s age programs, and adapt to one
impact cultural practices. another.
change? Established school
shows a much
stronger
foundation.
How do the External contexts External contexts Because of the
school’s external influence the influence the word adapt, when
 school through school by providing we say adapt what
different support supports, some is in with the school
received by the non-government is what you can get
contexts influence school. organizations example the
school culture? provide a great values, the trends,
contribution to beliefs, etc.
school
development.
Primary and Primary and Both primary and
secondary school secondary school secondary may be
How does school
differs on practices differs in instruction similar but may
culture vary
and treatment with especially on the differ with the ages
between primary
learners, secondary level of teaching. of the pupils or
and secondary
teaches more students.
schools?
about being more
independent.
Some school's Pupil's social As I've said earlier
How do school’s program depends background through adapting
pupils and their on the pupil's social influence school not just with the
social background background, it is culture through the materials but
influence school greatly considered. programs and everything.
culture? projects initiated by
the school.
How do changes in The school must Changes in society Through dealing
society pose always be updated, pose a challenge with it because of
challenges to a the needs of the because learners the changes we
school’s culture? learners depend on should be globally have today, we
their society. competent. have to deal with
not just one person
but the people who
are involved with
the scenario today
 as well.
Other observations:
They have poor environmental conditions at school include crowded classrooms,
poor ventilation, shortage of clean drinking water, lack of greenery in the school area,
location of schools close to main roads, air pollution and lack of environmental
awareness among teachers and parents. I recommend that the government should
apportion special budgets to the government schools, for the allocation of resources
and facilities such as good ventilation, and more awareness among teachers and
parents. Last but not the least, these types of programs will be helpful in preventing, or
at least minimizing, environmental health hazards.