Perceptions of Moving from an Old to New Building: An Ethnographic Study of a School in Transition
Loading...
Authors
Cole, David Lamar
Issue Date
2004-12
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
During the second half of the 2002-2003 school year, the students and faculty at
Valdosta Middle School moved from an old to new school building. The events leading
to, during, and after the mid-year transfer presented a rare opportunity to observe the
culture of a school in transition. If the themes that emerge provide insight into positive
and negative aspects of the transitional process, a more appropriate protocol for the
planning of, construction of, and transfer to new educational facilities could be
established. The purpose of this study was to uncover the perceptions of students,
teachers, and administrators who participated in the move from a fifty-year-old school to
a new building.
An ethnographic study was conducted at Valdosta Middle School (VMS) during the
2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years using researcher fieldnotes and journal
reflections, student, teacher, and administrator focus group interviews, and an individual
administrator interview. Issues, themes, and foci emerged as the researchers
understanding of participant perceptions increased. The end product of the research is a
reconstructed story of the transition from an old to new building as told by those who
experienced the mid-year move.
There were many findings associated with the study. Firstly, there exists at VMS a
power struggle between students and faculty in which adult desires for control and order
are in opposition to student needs for freedom and spontaneity. Secondly, all participants
identified increased general tension, student/faculty conflicts, and student-initiated
resistance following the transition. Finally, the move to the new building brought
significant changes in school culture, instruction, achievement, and curriculum.