Characteristics of schools for girls: a case study

Abstract

Single-sex schools account for a minimal percentage of alternative forms of education in Poland. Debates around such institutions focus on the issues of work efficiency in the context of academic achievements and dilemmas related to the social functioning of students. Most research on singlesex education is based on the positivist paradigm and uses quantitative methods. However, there are no monographic descriptions that consider the interpretative paradigm. In response to this gap, the author conducted a study of the culture of the girls’ school using qualitative methods – a case study based on the method of ethnography. The aim of the research was to conduct an in-depth study of a selected institution and describe its culture applying anthropology-based concept. I was interested in what image of the institution emerged based on individual interpretations of its members. The aim of the study. The main research questions concerned the specificity of the functioning of the staff in particular – the relations and key program assumptions. I tried to find out which aims are declaratively important and which are implemented by members of the school community. An important topic was also their perception of social relations and the style of working of the staff. The next task was to analyse and interpret the meanings that my interviewees attached to selected aspects of the school’s operation. The actions taken can be defined as constructing and reconstructing the model of the studied reality. The main aim of the analysis was to hear the “voice from the field” in order to understand better the meanings that the interlocutors attach to the everyday life at school. Research methods. The basic procedure for collecting data were interviews, partially structured and indepth, as well as observations of various school situations (both formal and informal). I interviewed parents, teachers, representatives of the board, and other school employees, I conducted focus group interviews (FGI) with students, I shadowed the headmaster, and analysed the documents. I used Atlas.ti software for the data analysis, which facilitated assigning and classification of codes and then combining them into broader categories. Conclusions and recommendations. Research has shown that adult respondents interpret the school reality in a similar way. Both parents and school employees emphasized the importance of values in constructing the school’s working style and the unique climate of families connected with the school. Social relations and emotions accompanying them were a significant problem, which on the one hand was a challenge for everyday work, and on the other hand, the expected style of functioning. The female character of the school manifested itself mainly in these dimensions. To a lesser extent, it was reflected in the style of work that would be in line with the stereotyped interests of the students. The results of the study apply to the specific case of the studied school. The methodology can be used many times in relation to any institution of this type.