Change, institutional morale and the effect on learner perceptions of classroom instruction
Date
2001
Authors
Seal, Gwen K
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2001
Abstract
The study begins with the history behind the current culture of change. Good to
excellent morale in an institutional setting is a phenomenon that educational leaders strive
to capture only to fmd out that at times it can be like looking for the Holy Grail. This
study was designed to examine a specific time span in the working environment of
Lethbridge Community College (LCC), a time of "paradigm shift" that motivated the
direction and the effects of the change. In the second stage of the study the goal was to
identify and define what organizational changes had occurred at LCe. Much of the
literature germane to this topic concentrates on the 'learning' institution and the
characteristics behind this movement. The third phase defines what are good to excellent
morale indicators in an institutional setting. The fourth and fifth stages identify
conditions of staff morale during the specified time of the study and how varying and/or
constant morale levels at Lethbridge Community College and the Centre for Applied
Management have affected 'learner satisfaction' with instruction, through analyzing
student evaluation results. The key fmdings of the study over all demonstrated that
learner perceptions of the quality of instruction has gone up appreciably from 1999-2000
to 2000-2001. Something quite different occurred in the morale levels tabulated from the
staff interview respondents. Morale levels were slightly down in 2000-2001 and the
number of respondents selecting average to very poor responses rose noticeably. The
results of this study will contribute to a critical look at the importance of institutional
morale and its effects in the classroom.
Description
ix, 161 leaves ; 29 cm. --
Keywords
Lethbridge Community College , Organizational change -- Alberta -- Lethbridge -- Case studies , Employee morale -- Alberta -- Lethbridge -- Case studies