Authors:- Gijón, José. Ph. Dr. Member of the FORCE Research Group (Educational Training focused in the school). University of Granada.- Fages, Estrella. Writer and Illustrator.

Title:¨Mikes in the mist¨. A story to enhance teachers' reflections about the management of discipline.

Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, University of Geneva, 13-15 September 2006

Abstract:

A teacher on her way to the institute, in a traffic jam, it comes to her mind images of her daily life at school, meanwhile she asks herself why she is continuing her work in a school with poorly educated students, if her real vocation as a biologist was to study gorillas at the mountains of Zaire. This story helps to support a qualitative study of school discipline in Secondary Education Centres in Andalusia (Spain). This research was focused on principals and facilitators of 24 Educative Centres, with the aim to contrast, from a qualitative point of view, two previous investigations about coexistence: one of them based on the analysis of the ¨Educative Projects¨ of the Centres and the other on the analysis of a questionnaire about the regulatory norm of discipline in Andalusia. In both cases it had been used the model CBAM (Concerns Based Adoption Model) -Hall and Hord, 1987-for the analysis. High levels of disagreement were obtained regarding the level of usage (scale Level of Use CBAM).

Introducción

A high number of scientific works was generated about school coexistence for the last twenty years in Spain too. Bullying (Vieira, Fernández y Quevedo -1989-, Cerezo y Esteban -1992-, Ortega y Mora-Merchán -2000-, Trianés -2000-) or episodic violence (Díaz-Aguado, 1996) were investigated.

The researchers attributed these problems to different reasons: personal, social or mass media influences.

However, from our point of view, is important the existence of educational norms and their “cultural appropriation” by teachers. In Andalusia (Spain) context, the Charter of Student’ Rights and Obligations is the norm about coexistence and discipline management.

We carried out two previous researches about this topic. In the first one, we did a documental analyze accuracy, with an external application of Level of Use –LoU- scale from the CBAM (Hall y Hord, 1987). In the second one, a qualitative approach was done too, with an internal CBAM application. The first research results show us an unequal development of different parts of the norm, situated in the “routine” CBAM Level of Use (Gijón, 2003). The second research results (Gijón, 2006) make clear a different cultural appropriation of “traditional” duties and rights (right to study, objectivity in evaluation…) and news rights and obligations (free speech, right to reunion…). In the “traditional” duties and rights, the cultural appropriation is higher than the “new” rights and obligations.

We whish now to complete this wide research, including a third study by using a “narrative” instrument, to obtain information from principals and counsellors, on the same sample. We call this new tool “Mikes in the mist”.

A narrative approach to stimulate teacher’ reflection about school coexistence

We know that our teachers were tired and probably “over – researched” after two cumbersome previous studies. That problem was making clear by Ainscow, Hargreaves & Hopkins (1995):

We have also come to recognize that traditional research methods such interviews, questionnaires and observation are sometimes too cumbersome and time-consuming in disclosing the intricacies of the change process. Moreover many teachers are “over-researched” by these standard techniques and in consequence are sometimes reluctant to find time for yet another interview or questionnaire. (p. 76).

Like this, we have designed a third research tool: a short story, searching for a ”light”, attractive and easy instrument to manage, including humour elements and black jokes too. We want text and illustrations quality too.

With Mikes in the Mist we pretend first, to take relevant information from principals and counsellors and to contrast it with the information obtained from two our previous investigations. Second, we try to have a narrative research instrument, including technical and literary quality.

Using narrative tools in educative norms analysis

Bolívar, Domingo y Fernández Cruz (2001) described a wide overview on education narrative nature and showed many different biographical and narrative research tools samples. Then, the compatibility between scientific and narrative knowledge is recognized. On the other hand, Gijón (2006) collected data that guarantee the norms analyse as educative innovations.

On this way, we built a narrative instrument from three “open” interviews offered to teachers; those interviews were “deconstructed” by codes and after they were “reconstructed”. This tool to make possible a data triangulation (Denzin, 1992), form a “Narrative Truth” (Catani, 1994, Denzin, 1992).

Finally, we had at our disposal a method to obtain narrative data, for those are analyzed later under a paradigmatic view (Polkinghorne, 1995). That allows connect teacher’s narrations and the real work context, and promote reflection on the educative norms and school reality.

Methodology

Selected sample

We focused our study on high schools of Andalusia and more exactly on their principals and counsellors. We established a sample selection in multiple steps (Krippendorff, 1990). In a first step, we used different criteria: kind of teachings (Compulsory education, post-compulsory education, vocational training), size of city (less 10.000, between 10.000 & 100.000, more 10.000), and geographical area (Province). In a second step, we introduced some additional criteria: ethnical minorities, poverty or presence of foreigners. A minimum of 24 centres were established (8 provinces x 3 strata).

Instrument structure

Using elements of traditional “vignettes” (Marcelo, 1987, p. 140), elements of “Starting change” technique developed to “mapping the change in the school” (Ainscow, Hargreaves y Hopkins, O.C., pág. 83), and text structure from “moral dilemmas” (Bolívar, 1995), we designed a repetitive structure: A piece of “Mikes” story, one illustration and four questions:

- Do those facts exist at your school?- Can this norm solve this problem?- Have you got any contribution to this norm?- Have you got any alternative to this norm?

Estrella Fages composed the story Mikes in the Mist (refereed to Dian Fossey’ book Gorillas in the Mist), from “Open interviews” offered to three teachers (their recalls about experiences related with the coexistence and discipline management), making comparisons with related last years technical literature, (J.C. Torrego, y J. C. Moreno Olmedilla, 1999, 1999B) and comparisons with previous researches (Gijón, 2001).

Mikes’ final contents are 10 “vignettes”, with small pieces of Mikes in the Mist story: Bad behaviour, Aggression to teacher, Robberies, Bad manners, To be absent, Mistreatment to handicapped people, Vandalism, Cellular, Eating / chewing / drinking in the classroom & Fighting at school.

Collecting and analyzing data

36 surveys have been collected, and Hyperresearch ® was used to code them. Two kind of code analysis were carried out.

The first one, called as “vertical”, using a “saturation” mode, generated a narrative reconstruction of the story, and gave a piece of narrative information about general coexistence situation at the Andalusia high schools.

The second one, called as “horizontal”, put codes into groups by questions, by analyzing frequencies and giving a narrative reconstruction too.

Results

We show the number of different codes below, without their frequency (Image 1). First, the most important generated information lies in the vignettes named bad behaviour and aggressions to teachers. Second, Robberies and cellular use give us not much information. In the middle, bad manners, mistreatment to handicapped people, vandalism or fighting at the school.

On the other hand, the codes composition in each vignette give us more information in the third and fourth questions, through them we ask modifications or alternatives to analyzed norm.

Codes by questions

05

10152025303540

Bad beh

aviour

Aggress

ion to

teach

er

Robber

ies

Bad man

ners

To be

absent

Mistrea

tment

to ha

ndicap

ped pe

ople

Vandal

ismCellu

lar

Eating

/ chew

ing / d

rinkin

g in th

e c...

Fighti

ng at

the sc

hool

Vignette

Num

ber

of c

odes

Question 1Question 2Question 3Question 4Total

Codes % by questions, en each vignette & total values

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Mal com

porta

miento

Agresio

nes

Hurtos

Falta

de re

speto

Faltas

de as

istenci

a

Maltrat

o a dis

capac

itado

s

Vanda

lismo

Teléfo

nos m

óviles

Comida

Pelea

sTot

al

Vignette

Code

s % Pregunta 1

Pregunta 2Pregunta 3Pregunta 4

Image nº 1.- Code structure of different vignettes and questions.

Next, we introduce a code analyse that shows the “meta –codes” and their frequencies, indicating us the opinion of our principals and counsellors (See table 2). We put codes into groups in four categories, according to the four questions.

We found 1024 codes (328 for the first question, 289 for the second one, 158 for the third one and 249 for the fourth one). They show clearly two conflicting tendencies–according to and against- and there is a wide range of intermediate codes (See image 2)

“Meta – codes” Question

1Question

1 2Question

1 3Question

4School coexistence problems are NOT meaningful. 137School coexistence problems are related to context. 13School coexistence problems ARE meaningful. 176I have no opinion 2The norm can’t solve coexistence problems 124The norm needs educational support too. 11The norm can solve coexistence problems partially 48The norm can solve coexistence problems 103I have no opinion 3Norm modifications are NOT necessary 42More autonomy for the centre 22Pupils and their parents must be involved 12More hard punishment 59It’s NOT an educative problem (Compulsory education to 16) 6Partial problem solution 13I have no opinion 4Teachers need more support 29School needs more support 52Norm doesn’t change. More teachers’ collaboration required 22Social problem, involves families and general law change. 90Changing the norm is NOT necessary 22We need a curricular change 11Change the educative system 20I have no opinion 3Total codes by question 328 289 158 249TOTAL GENERAL 1024

Table 2.- “Meta-codes” generated from the codification, grouped by questions.

Agrupación de frecuencias de códigos en función de estar a favor o en contra de las normas educativas

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

A favor Intermedio En contra Sin opinión

frec

uenc

ia d

e lo

s có

digo

s

Pregunta 1Pregutna 2Pregunta 3Pregunta 4Totales

Image 2.- Codes frequency, put into groups according to – not according to.

Results discussion

First of all, the creation of more than 1.000 pieces of coded text, implies the instrument have generated a high quantity of information.

Second, there are opposite codes related to particular questions about the facts that happen at the centres in every analyzed category. Those data are coincident with the previous researches results.

Third, a reflection beyond students’ behavior and coexistence norms had been generated.

Other conclusions about the narrative instrument have been established. On one hand, the use of our narrative instrument to stimulate the teachers’ reflection is tested here; on the other hand, methodological sequence to build the narrative tool, it have been showed efficient too.

Finally, when the contextualised “narrative fact” is related to the “real fact” we can obtain a piece of relevant information about norms or innovations, and it reveals itself as an appropriate instrument to compare other quantitative and qualitative researches.

References

Ainscow, M., Hargreaves, D. H. & Hopkins, D. (1995). Mapping the process of change in schools: the development of six new research techniques. Evaluation and Research in Education, Vol. 9, nº 2, 75 - 90.

Bolívar, A., Domingo, J. y Fernández Cruz, M. (2001). La investigación biográfico – narrativa en educación. Madrid: La Muralla.

Cerezo, E. y Esteban, A. (1992). La dinámica bully – víctima entre escolares. Diversos enfoques metodológicos. Revista de piscología Universitas Tarraconensis, Vol. XIV, 131-145.

Denzin, N. K. (1992). Deconstructing the biographical method. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, April.

Díaz-Aguado, M. J. (1996). Programas de educación para la tolerancia y prevención de la violencia en los jóvenes. Vol. I. Madrid: Instituto de la Juventud.

Gijón. J. (2001). Estudio de la Cultura de un Instituto de Educación Secundaria. Proyecto de Suficiencia Investigadora. Inédito.

Gijón, J. (2003). Apropiación cultural de un cambio educativo: el desarrollo de la Carta de Derechos y Deberes del Alumnado en los IIEESS de Andalucía. Tesis Doctoral inédita.

Gijón, J. (2006). La convivencia escolar como innovación: Un análisis sobre el caso Andaluz utilizando el "Concerns-Based Adoption Model." Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas, 14(3). Retrieved [28-08-2006] from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v14n3/.

Hall, G. E. y Hord, S. (1987). Change in Schools. Facilitating the Process. NY: State University of New York Press.

Krippendorff, K. (1990). Metodología de Análisis de Contenido. Teoría y Práctica. Barcelona: Paidós Comunicación.

Marcelo, C. (1987). El pensamiento del profesor. Barcelona: CEAC.Ortega, R. y Mora-Merchan, J. A. (2000). Violencia escolar, mito o

realidad. Sevilla: Mergablum. Edición y Comunicación, S. L.Polkingkhorne, D. E. (1995). Narrative configuration in qualitative

analysis. Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 8 (1), 5 – 23.

Torrego, J. C. y Moreno, J. C. (1999B). Proyecto Atlántida. Autorrevisión de los problemas y los conflictos de convivencia. En Convivencia escolar: un enfoque práctico. F.E. de CCOO (disponible en internet: http://www.proyecto-atlantida.org/).

Trianés, M.V. (2000). La Violencia en contextos escolares. Málaga: Ed. Aljibe.

Vieira, M., Fernández, I. y Quevedo, G. (1989). Violence, bullying and counselling in the Iberian Peninsula. In E. Roland & E. Munthe (Eds): Bullying: An international perspective. London: David Fulton.

Norm analyzed in the research

- Decreto 85/1999, de 6 de abril, por el que se regulan los derechos y deberes del alumnado y las correspondientes normas de convivencia en los centros docentes públicos y privados concertados no universitarios. Sevilla: BOJA de 24 de abril de 1999 (“Carta de derechos y deberes”)- Orientaciones sobre el Decreto de derechos y deberes del alumnado y las correspondientes normas de convivencia en los centros docentes públicos y privados concertados no universitarios. Sevilla: Dirección General de Planificación y ordenación Educativa.

AnnexeMikes in the Mist (narrative instrument) – sample-

This story is a fiction, a narrative construction from open interview offered to three teachers. Each part of this story, proposes you four questions.- Do those facts exist at your school?- Can this norm solve this problem?- Have you got any contribution to this norm?- Have you got any alternative to this norm?

Ask these questions wider than you want, and include the observations that you wish.

She recall the “incident” was happens between the Principal and the father of “wild” Jennifer’…He stopped his car for a moment to buy a lottery ticket that World liberate her from every parent, every Jennifer, every Jonathan and Carlitos, sooner or later or later and…

- That boy… What’s his name?- -That boy I never get to know his surname.

But never mind…Things like those shouldn’t happen in a high school…

Vignette 2. - Aggressions to teachers or principals from pupils or their parents.

- Do those facts exist at your school?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- Can this norm solve this problem?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- Have you got any contribution to this norm?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- Have you got any alternative to this norm?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Through the window, she could see the principal running speedy, crying something. What happens? She couldn’t see any more behind the big oak…

Vignette 10. - Boys Fights and aggressions.

- Do those facts exist at your school?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- Can this norm solve this problem?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- Have you got any contribution to this norm?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

- Have you got any alternative to this norm?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________