Project – SEAT_LP Questionnaires: parents, students, teachers

1. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão - Aveiro Portugal Project – SEAT_LPQuestionnaires: parents, students, teachers December/March – 2004/2005

2. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão Avaliar é afinal um reflectir para mudar, transformar, renovar…fazer crescer“A voz das Escolas”

3. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão Facts about… • Several dozen hours of work • Bibliography • A computer • Hundreds of paper sheet • Tons of patience • STRONG WILL

4. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão Preliminary notes: • The questionnaires were distributed in December and March to students, parents and teachers. • Class 10C had 20 students in December and 16 in March. Two students, meanwhile, got back to their countries (France and Brazil) and two others abandoned school (School leaving is a serious problem in Portugal). • 18 parents and 10 teachers collaborated by filling in the questionnaires. • In general there are no major opinion changes between the two periods. In fact, the variation of the answers is minimal (less than 2%) which we decided not to consider. Therefore, the results presented were analysed as a whole.

5. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão STUDENT’S QUESTIONNAIRE - class C

6. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão FREE TIME • In general, students spend their free time alone, (90%), watching TV or doing computer work, (60%). Strolling is not attractive for these students. • 70% of students are occupied with regular activities. Adults are attentive to their outings and movements. (q6 and q80 – 85% . • Drugs are not considered as a mean to relax - (90%) • Students are also satisfied about the way they manage their free time (95%).

7. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • 2- BEHAVIOUR • Racism, xenophobia and aggressive attitudes are completely out of the students’ mind. (100%). • To keep a “low profile”, to be in good mood, and to be self-confident are also important goals to achieve. However, being criticised is not welcome. (70%)

8. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • FRIENDS • Students feel quite well integrated with each other and among friends, (Q1, Q2, Q9, Q10: average 80%). Their friends’ age (older or younger) is nor relevant. (50% each). • They are cooperative, but able to say “no” (40%). 30% of them find it difficult to assert their opinion. • Alcohol has a regular consumption among their friends (45%). (Students crossed out the word “drugs”)

9. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • SCHOOL • 85% of students like school and 75% have not in mind to abandon it. Nevertheless 40% find it boring and have marks below average (60%). They all have a high class attendance level at school, but the results are getting worse (30%) and students feel it is hard to focus on learning (70%). • 100% of students answered “no” to questions 9 and 10 (abuses and drugs/alcohol).

10. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • HABITS • These questions (1-9) had a high level of “no” answers, reaching 90-100%. Question 10 had 80% of “yes” answers. So, we may conclude that students are aware of the issue “drugs & alcohol”. Definitely they are not part of their life (yet). • As for the list of addictive substances, the answers follow the same pattern. There are some students who tried smoking and drinking but only accidentally. Three of them are regular smokers.

11. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão PARENT’S QUESTIONNAIRE

12. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão PARENT’S QUESTIONNAIRE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOL AND FAMILY Studying at home • The majority of students have a suitable place for studying and they study regularly. Half of the parents know that students have got homework but less than a half provide help for them. They also think that students can manage to combine their school work with their free time activities.

13. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão Family support to school life • Parents regularly monitor their children’s school life (85%). As a matter of fact they show interest and usually know the evaluation dates and results as well as the messages sent by the class tutor (80%). Parents feel that students like school (80%) and are quite sure about children projects for the future.(80%)

14. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • Meetings with the class tutor • Half of the parents contact the class tutor by their own initiative. They see these contacts as an important means to monitor their children’s school life. Generally they collaborate and accept the tutor’s advice. (80%).

15. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão Participation of parents in school life • The participation of parents in school life is low. Although they are attentive to the students’ activities at school, they do not participate. Parents have poor knowledge of the school internal rules and are not motivated to hold a position in school organs (Parents Association, Pedagogical Council…) In fact, only 5% of the parents are members of the school parents association.

16. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão The School Ethos • Parents only barely know school internal rules. They are more aware of issues related to evaluation, (it is recognised that teachers are qualified, competent but also demanding concerning grades), the relationship students/teacher and school organization. This last item is reported as “good”. They also believe that school is a place to develop general human relationships inside the school community. The lack of participation of parents in school activities is also expressed as well as the school policy. “Yes” and “Partly” are the majority of answers to almost all of the remaining questions.

17. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • In the second part of the questionnaire parents were invited to grade the importance of the problems regarding school life. • There is a notorious balance of the given answers with a slight difference related to the “serious problem” choice. In fact, here the number is a bit higher than the others. In questions 6, 7 and 8 the following items are reported as serious problem: absenteeism, indifference and abandon. We know, as educators, that these are a major problem in Portugal: it is hard to focus students’ attention, to motivate them for school attendance and to prevent school abandon. Some matters related to teachers (demotivation), school organization (discipline), staff (formation), leadership and violence are also mentioned as a “serious problem”. • In general, the school has a positive rate.

18. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão INTERNAL EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS

19. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão The first group, teaching/pedagogical matters, shows us that teachers focus their attention on the students’ needs, autonomy and personal relationship.

20. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão The second set of questions (18-32) and school evaluation (33) highlight extra- curricular activities, other educational agents or parents’ participation, spaces and school life. Extra curricular activities are “Partly” considered, meaning school doesn’t do its best to promote or to publicise them or, otherwise, they are not interesting enough to keep the attention of teachers/students.

21. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • There is a perception that students like the school but spaces inside and outside are not properly kept. Another point to review is the relationship with institutions and the Students’ Association. Ideas coming from these partners should be taken into account more often. • Teachers are “Partly” satisfied with their school.

22. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • Concerning common ideas and collaboration (which means communication) about the school educational system (Q 34-41) teachers “partially” agree. It means communication is not understood as an added value and must be improved. We think so… although the “communication atmosphere” is positively considered. • Cooperation (group 7) is also esteemed positive and effective in all subjects mentioned. The aspects to review are related to the classroom (Q 55, 58). There, it seems autonomy and self-management prevail: the classroom is the teacher’s territory, far away from arguing and controlling each other’s work.

23. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • School organization and leadership are very important matters which contribute to improve the school ethos. Discussion focused on pedagogical subjects and agreements and sharing opinions, make teachers feel more comfortable and supported. The school leadership can also contribute to the school ethos if they stimulate, give precise instructions and respect teachers’ autonomy. • The school ethos is evaluated as “Partly” as shown.

24. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • Teachers have personal concerning about parent’s demands, new school challenges (changes and reforms), school organization and administrative tasks, school leadership and, above all, the lack of motivation from their colleagues regarding school pedagogical orientation. • Some of these items are the cause of some disappointment and unsatisfactory work. In general teachers are “Partly” satisfied with their job.

25. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • Cultural Levels

26. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • The first chart shows the “distance to the power”. Concerning the school leadership we may conclude that teachers find it reliable and correct and that may explain the result on this matter. • We can also notice that the variation is very small. • Considering the scale 0/40 we can see that the teachers’ average is very close to the middle of the scale, keeping a balanced distance from the power. There is not a significant variation from December to

27. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • Teachers express here characteristics of individualistic positions concerning colleagues, educational goals, family and working conditions. It would be interesting to find out which the reasons for these characteristics are. The variation since December is not significant, in spite of the little increase.

28. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • Competence, performance, competition, fighting, material income, stimulating job, are the key words as opposed to crying, good relationships, stable job, solidarity and equity. • Masculinity is in evidence on this chart: the achieved scores are above the limit of 50 %.There is a balance between the two numbers and the variation is very small.

29. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • To avoid uncertainty is the aim of the majority of teachers. The score obtained points out the desire to be safe, unstressed, with clear orientations, both from the leadership and from the educational boards. They are not familiar with changes and fear the unknown. They prefer to be guided, and have a great concern for doing things well. • Accumulated knowledge is the shield against all uncertainty

30. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • By the numbers shown below and if we employ the questionnaire scale, we realize that the dominant culture is a “dividing culture”. Without a clear and significant reference, we assume this culture to be a “non-profile culture” or an “undefined culture”. It means that teachers present, at the same time and with the same rates, balanced values of solidarity and sociability. • In this way, the teachers’ reaction, facing most of the variety of matters can be a surprise, perhaps depending on where or who the stimulus comes from. By variety of matters we understand all aspects related to school life, (organizational and professional matters, professional achievements, sense of community), including personal relationships in different grades (merely social, friendship, intimacy).

31. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão

32. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão • This chart shows the level of management. It implies the culture of the “self”. • The teachers’ average is slightly above the middle of the scale. It means, for us, that teachers are able to delegate functions and services, but without losing control over them (by taking to them the monitoring and the supervising responsibility).

33. Escola Secundária de José Estêvão A brief conclusion: • The sample taken for reflection is not significant concerning the whole school: ten teachers do not represent the 186 teachers of the school. • However, it is possible to outline a “portrait”: the pattern indicates teachers distant from the power, (they prefer to be guided by positive information), who are able to delegate functions and services but who supervise their application, who assume masculine positions and are sociable, solidary and proportionally individualists at the same time. They are professionally committed but avoid uncertainty: innovation and new changes are adopted in the right proportion.