Chapter 7: Social Influences and The Quest for Excellence: A Sociocultural Perspective on Teacher Effectiveness

This chapter explores ways in which teacher effectiveness is impacted by factors associated with the social context of the school. Teaching is inherently a social activity, and there are numerous forces acting upon teachers which influence their behavior and thereby their effectiveness. Moreover, teachers routinely make social as well as educational decisions about the way they teach (Angelides & Ainscow, 2000; Broadway, 1999; Brown, 2002; Remillard, 1999, 2005; Zembylas, 2003). An analysis of the literature reveals three types of social concerns which impact the work of teachers. These include psycho-social factors at work within the teacher/employee (Ashton & Webb, 1986; Brief & Aldag, 1981; Broadway; Zembylas; Newmann, Rutter, & Smith, 1989), sociocultural factors at work within the school/workplace (Angelides & Ainscow; Deal & Kennedy, 1983; Deal & Peterson, 1999; Loup, 1994; Rosenholtz, 1985; Rosenholtz, Bassler, & Hoover-Dempsey, 1986; Schein, 1985, 1992; Schoen, 2005), and sociopolitical factors at work in the community (Conley & Bodone, 2002; Spillane, 2000).