- Title
- The effects of restorative practices on a learning community: a comparative case study
- Creator
- Rosser, Janene
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor in Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- This study investigated the effects of implementing Restorative Practices (RP) on a learning community of eight schools, with change over a three-year time period measured in a cohort of students and teachers using the school climate dimensions of safety, teaching and learning, interpersonal relationships, the institutional environment and the staff only dimension of professional relationships. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of the implementation of RP on these specific school climate dimensions across the group of eight schools. The present study brings multi-disciplinary research together to investigate the overall influence that the implementation of RP may have on school climate, where it is hypothesised that successful implementation will improve student and teacher perceptions of the identified school climate dimensions. Multi-disciplinary research has established the importance within schools of relationships, student wellbeing and the learning environment for the development of positive school climates that enhance student learning, with this study being concerned with evidence that RP is correlated with establishing these qualities in a learning environment. The specific body of knowledge about the multi-dimensional and interconnected construct of school climate has been increasingly developing in the field, particularly as education systems have acknowledged the importance of affective and social-emotional competency as crucial to the experience of school life and learning outcomes, and with increasing focus on this as an area of interest within school improvement and reform agendas. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design methodology was employed, within a comparative case study design. A survey instrument for students and teaching staff was designed to measure self-reported perceptions of the school climate dimensions and was administered at twelve-month intervals between 2013-2015 to all teaching staff and students in Years 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. The group of schools simultaneously implemented RP in their schools during the study, with a total of 1483 student and 218 teaching staff surveys completed. The school climate dimensions were extracted using principal component analysis as a methodology for developing the reliability of the survey dimensions and subjected to descriptive statistical analysis for the three-year period. Measurement dimensions related to school climate were cross-sectionally analysed using linear regression techniques to examine the hypothesised influence of successful RP implementation on improved perceptions of a positive school climate for students and teaching staff. Trends were analysed in the data over time, using correlation and regression analysis to examine first the combined learning community results of the group with all eight schools, and second the individual school results. Contrary to expectations, the combined student data showed a statistically significant decline in Restorative Practice and all of the school climate dimensions over the three years of the study, while for teachers there was no significant change in Restorative Practice or school climate over time. School analysis was used to identify four schools for a comparative case study, combining open-ended staff responses and responses from a post-implementation, semi-structured interview with the school principals. Results from both the learning community and comparative case study investigations over time suggested that the implementation approach taken in each school was contextually unique and that the implementation approach had a significant impact on the perceptions of school climate and Restorative Practice in each school. A substantial change in principal leadership in six of the eight schools during the study was identified to have had an impact on the implementation of RP. The investigation of change over time revealed that RP is correlated with all school climate dimensions studied for students and teachers, with the potential for RP to improve these dimensions being identified in the study. The overarching finding was made that RP has the potential to support school climate improvement when it is understood as encompassing all elements of school culture, and where implementation is effective. Implementation where RP is embedded as a holistic approach to school life, aligned to restorative principles, core values, behaviours, practices, pedagogy, and systems within a holistically understood wellbeing pedagogical approach is recommended as critical to realising any potential improvements in school climate or culture. Findings were highly reflective of the need for schools to understand that RP is an ideology that requires deep cultural understanding and buy-in to be implemented effectively, it is not a panacea program. An implementation model and procedure for RP in schools is offered by the researcher to contribute to this field and educational practice.
- Subject
- restorative practices; school climate; school culture; wellbeing pedagogy; learning community
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1437659
- Identifier
- uon:40421
- Rights
- Copyright 2021 Janene Rosser
- Language
- eng
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 5 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 191 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |