Analysis of organizational culture in schools: A case study

In this study, the school culture of an Anatolian high school was examined in the context of organizational culture. The research was conducted with qualitative methods and designed in the form of basic qualitative research. The research was conducted in the 2023-2024 academic year at Hasan Coci Anatolian High School in the Gümüşhacıköy district of Amasya Province, and a total of 21 educators, including 1 principal, 3 vice principals and 17 teachers, working at this high school participated in the research. Data were collected by obtaining the opinions of school administrators and teachers through a semi-structured interview form. Schein's Organizational Culture Model was used in this research. Edgar Schine's organizational culture model is one of the most important models developed to understand and analyze organizational culture. This model, which is used to understand how the organization functions deeply rather than how it appears from the outside, reveals how the common values ​​and norms accepted by the members of the organization at both individual and collective levels function in solving organizational problems and how they direct behaviors within the organization. The research questions were determined according to this model and presented to three different expert opinions. Based on the participants' views, the concept of culture is divided into three main themes: Society's behavior and lifestyle, cultural heritage and art, and other areas. The theme of society's behavior and lifestyle includes common behaviors, lifestyle, values, traditions-customs, and beliefs, while the theme of cultural heritage covers transmission from generation to generation and the unifying elements of society. The theme of art and other areas includes elements such as art, language, music, and food and beverage. School culture is divided into four sub-themes: The role of stakeholders, rules and behaviors, values, beliefs and norms, identity and belonging. The role of stakeholders is the most emphasized theme, and the student-teacher-administration-parent relationship and cooperation stand out. While rules and behaviors are defined by unwritten rules and institutional memory, the theme of values ​​and beliefs includes a set of values, traditions, and norms. The theme of identity and belonging is related to school identity and common goals. The carrier elements of school culture are divided into three sub-themes as behavioral, verbal, and physical artifacts. Behavioral artifacts; elements such as social events and holidays, verbal artifacts; elements such as sincere language and stories, and physical artifacts include school uniforms and boards. While the common values ​​adopted by the stakeholders focus on values ​​such as cooperation, solidarity, trust and respect, the basic beliefs that form the school culture are gathered under four sub-themes as general values, discipline, administrative approaches and education-training. While the positive aspects of the school culture include acting together and supporting academic success, the negative aspects are factors such as problems between the administration and teachers. The role of school leaders and activities are emphasized to improve the negative aspects. Key Words: Organizational Culture, School Culture, Culture Analysis.