Case Study I.E.S. Trevenque
(Spain)
Development of case study
The interview took place in July 2019 in a single session. The staff and management were not available for further interviews at the time. The participants ranged from a manager, teacher and head of department. The interviews took place in the centre itself as this was most convenient for all the members of staff and the management. Before the interviews took place the following desk top research was carried out. The interviewer was Francisco Javier Hurtado Martínez.
Description of the organisation
Institutional framework
I.E.S Trevenque is a public school which offers the following courses to students for the local area and beyond. The centre offers E.S.O which is the obligatory education cycle and it also offers F.P.B (which is the lowest level of V.E.T training), Bachillerato, F.P medio y F.P superior.
The centre offers course to students of all different abilities and needs. The centre prepares students for further third level education but also offers more professional based learning which is connected to the job market and subjects which teach students the skills in certain professions. The school has the capacity for 749 students and has 61 teachers.
The educational project constitutes the hallmarks of the centre and expresses the education they are developing. It contemplates the values, objectives and priorities of action, not only limited to curricular aspects, but also to those that, from a cultural point of view, make the centre a dynamic element of the area where it is located.
The educational project defines the particular objectives that our centre intends to achieve, based on its reality and taking as reference the Organic Law 2/2006, of May 3, and Law 17/2007, of December 10, on the principles that guide each one of the educational stages that are taught in the centre and the corresponding prescriptions about the curriculum.
Institutional in the migrant society
There is not a focus on migrants or refugees. According to the head of department, they only view diversity as an issue in academic performance. Ethnicity or background is not a factor taken into account in the enrolment process in this centre.
Human Resource Management
The attention to diversity is focused on academic performance. The task of attention to their diversity is covered in both national and regional legislation. As the school is publicly funded it must adhere to the national and regional legislation regarding diversity in the classroom. Each teacher must carry out an initial evaluation in which they have the opportunity to adapt their own curriculum and/or ask for help from social services. The availability of these services will depend directly on the ratio of students to teacher and secondly if the school is fully public which it is in this case.
Networking
I.E.S Trevenque is a public school which serves 4 different municipalities. It has direct contact with the town hall in La Zubia, however it has no direct links to migrant organisations.
Education
The teachers in the school must adhere to both regional and national law and legislation in regards to supporting their pupils. There are guidelines for the teachers to follow. The teacher must carry out an initial evaluation and find out if there are students who might need extra help. They can make adaptations to their planning and also if the student to teacher ratio is sufficient they can also ask for external help from social security or care workers.
The school will provide a language adaptation course for those migrants who have not yet mastered the language in which the subjects are being taught.
Personal Impressions of interviewed people
The Institution |
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| Positive | Negative |
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Accessibility is an issue. The director of the school was not happy with the budget available to make the centre wheelchair accessible. The director continues on to say that the student can just go around the back of the building and there is a ramp there. A teacher disagrees with the statement saying just because the student has a disability they should not be obliged to go around the back. |
Commitment with mission statement and diversity policy
The organisation is firmly committed to the goal and objectives set out in its mission statement. The management and staff agree fully that inclusion and diversity are enriching for all the students. In the case of cultural differences such as the wearing of a burka is allowed but there are some restrictions when doing exams and that is discussed directly with the parents to avoid unnecessary problems later.
What should be changed?
The physical access needs to be improved in the centre, so it is accessible to all.
What should not be changed?
The core philosophy of the centre and the great team spirit present should not be changed. The freedom of expression and licence given to the teachers is also an important factor in keeping teachers happy and motivated. The open policy towards all who wish to study at the centre should not be changed.
Analysis, interpretations
The language regarding diversity within the organisation
The spoken language is Spanish. Everyone responds directly to the interviewer and the questions posed. The interview was conducted in a relaxed manner. It was clear that the body language also neutral and relaxed as the shoulders of all the interviewees were not in a position of tension and the body positions were receptive as the arms were open. When the director spoke all the other employees paid attention to the explanation and showed their agreement through gestures. The director was focused on the interviewer so they were not so it would be safe to say the employees did not have to act in this way. This is a clear case of staff comradery and it was clear that the words and connotations used in the interview were all positive. There is respect and understanding in all levels of the organisation.
Significant differences in the way people are looking at and thinking about the diversity in the organisation
The view of the group concerning the questions asked were affirmative and positive in general. The employees seem to agree with the managers about important issues and topics. There is a clear distinction between the organisation and the employees. The values and norm are based on legal framework provided by the ministry of education and the regional level of government too (Junta de Andalucía). As this school is pubic, assess is restricted to candidates from the competitive state exam.
Arrangements and power relations
The director is a facilitator and commands respect. Their task is organising the resources given to them by the government. This job is done is a formal way and that the views and opinions of the employees are respected and that they have the weekly opportunity to voice any concerns over problems arising from the day to day functioning of the school.
The employees who took part in the interview seemed to feel a level of respect and care from the management but at the same time can voice concerns, opinions and ideals without any fear of the management taking it personally. This professional relationship is key to characterising the identity and relationship in this centre.
The organisations influence is mainly around the village it is located and suburbs of Granada. As the school is publicly funded it must adhere to standards set by the regional legislation. The organisation is public.
Communication is dealt with on a weekly basis. There is a staff meeting where all the news, reporting and activity of the centre are discussed by the teacher and managers. This is the opportunity to voice concerns and find solutions to any problems that may arise during school hours. These hours are obligatory are must be attended by all staff members. Staff not on full time contracts are legally obliged to attend but for a shorter period.
There is a library where the teacher meetings take place. Some teachers also have a secondary role as class tutors. This means that they are responsible for the class and act as the liaison between the students and the management. This responsibility comes with additional paperwork.
Motives and motivations to work on diversity policy in the organisation
There is a good atmosphere in the organisation. The main fears would come from student numbers and by extension difficult students. The motives for management are to have an organisation running smoothly and to provide the best service possible. The motives for staff are to give students the care and attention that they need and additionally give them a solid foundation so they can further their academic careers. The centre offers V.E.T. courses also and can offer an alternative to the academic career path if the student should wish to do so.
Possible benefits for the learners
What is the learners’ perspective?
The learners can see teachers with the intention of helping them in their career. The goal is “selectividad” which is the final exams to be taken before finishing secondary school. There is a points system and doing well in this exam allows to student access to a wider range of subject in the third level.
What could be from their point of view “setting the stage” for change?
Setting the stage for change would be accepting the importance of technology and languages and having the facilities to properly prepare them for working in the 21st century work place in which the ability to use spreadsheets, powerpoint, word documents and being computer literate and able to type are taken for granted.
Can you explain “what’s in it for them”?
The chance to study something that they enjoy or have an interest in and have a degree that is recognised throughout Europe. They need to remain competitive with their European peers and so they need to upskill and continue the process of learning but at the same time gain experience in different sectors so that they can have a balanced and realistic viewpoint of their possibilities and prospects.
Stage of the organisation
Scroll over then names of the stages to get a definition of them
- My organisation has migrants among its clients.
- In my organization an intercultural training has been done aimed at improving sales to migrants.
- My organisation has a policy aimed at improving sales or services to migrants.
- My organisation employs (a) migrant worker(s).
- My organisation has a policy aimed at the influx of migrant workers.
- In my organisation there has been an intercultural training on how to improve intercultural cooperation or leadership.
- My organisation has an intercultural personnel policy.
- In my organisation, intercultural policy is a natural part of diversity policy.
- In my organisation, intercultural policy is a natural part of general quality policy with regard to sales/service provision and personnel.
This organisation is at the third stage. It offers a public service to the surrounding area and it has the
obligation of attending potential students from that area. The location of the centre as mentioned
before is on the periphery of Granada city and is a large village with mainly service sector and
agricultural activity. The centre complies with the legal legislation requirements by the regional
authority. The selection process of employees is not controlled by the centre. The process is done
through a competitive state exam that gives vacant places to candidates who have received the best
scores plus have the most experience.
Change and consequences
What is change here actually?
The change is students becoming more in control of their own learning process and to help them become more autonomous in that process. Instilling a lifelong learning philosophy in the teenage years so that the students will be always ready to adapt and upskill if and when necessary. However, any change must go through a legal audit and the manager/director has autonomy to delegate resources who they see fit but that that autonomy is constrained by legal and administrative obligations. The I.E.S Trevenque has to abide by the regional and national legislation, because it is a public school funded by the regional authority for education.
What does it mean for the education process?
The number of students per teacher is high, so diversity is a secondary issue. The numbers are too high to be able to dedicate the time required to make cater for that diversity. There is not a clear goal at the end of the education process. This is a problem that can be found with academic focused teaching. Students decide to study different subjects based on numerous facts, interest, job possibilities and location and costs of studying, parents influence/family tradition etc. There is a simple problem. Many students do not know yet what exactly they want to dedicate their professional career in. This is where something along the lines of a gap year could be useful. It is not common at all for that to be advised to students here.
What does it mean for the management?
Resources are not sufficient to deal with the demand that the centre has. The resources that are granted to the centre cannot be used in more creative ways due to red tape and administrative issues.
Student apathy and low motivation in students is one of the clear problems for the management.
What does it mean for the staff?
Staff are under pressure to manage high class numbers. Student apathy and low motivation in students is also one of the clear problems for the teachers.
What does it mean for the learners?
Learners need holistic guidance on an individual and personal level.
Recommendations
What should not be change
- Team spirit and collaboration between staff.
- The legal position of the workers (civil servant).
What should be changed
- Levels of funding: There is a gap between what local and regional politicians are pledging to give to centres and what they receive. The ratio of the centre is at its maximum level, but it needs to receive additional funding to help the centre deal with this ratio.
- Resources: There is a need to meet the needs of the student body with extra funding to provide more materials and resources for the students.
- Ratios: According to the managers, the ratio is 33 students per teacher which is a high ratio. Due to this, teacher hours are more rigid, and they cannot give teachers hours to prepare material or do pedagogical work.
- Language diversity. There is little language diversity in this centre. The focus is on adapting foreign students to the Spanish classroom. The centre has language adaptation classrooms that are three hours of language classes.
What is the right approach for this way of changing?
According the colour model of De Caluwe & Vermaak, which demonstrates colour thinking as an accessible expression of different change management traditions, we advise in this case yellowprint in the case of I.E.S Trevenque, which is based on negotation. The dynamic between the political system and education is an important topic and needs to be addressed. The centre needs to move within its brief but balance that with the possibility for change and improvement. These topics are quite complicated in Andalucia in general.
In the yellowprint approach something can change when you bring common interests Together in a power game and create a feasible solution: a win-win situation. The yellowprint approach is characterised through interventions such as forming coalitions and changing top structures, and is led by facilitators who use their own power base.
Commitment with Management and Staff
What is the commitment for change?
Both the management and staff are committed to change and improving the service provided. In the case of the teachers, they are willing to do refresher courses to improve their teaching skills and abilities.