The alternative understanding of formal and informal communication between senior management team and teachers in a school context / Mariyam Minsha Rasheed

Abstract

Education is the most vital factor in today's world. A globalized world with thousands of opportunities to fulfill the desire of being educated and independent is every humans desire. As such, this education can be achieved with the help of a tutor or a context in which education is taught in various ways. As such these tutors and institutions are supposed to be achieving their objectives by providing better education. As such, to provide this opportunity the context should have a flow less communication within their organizations or departments. The purpose of this study was to identify the communication which takes place in school context and how SMT (Senior Management Team) deal with every day communication between them. During the course of this research, the school was observed from a far distance while focusing on interviewing with five different people from the school. This was carried out to understand the communication of teachers and SMT and whether they experience any gap in their everyday communication.

The research was carried out using qualitative, interpretivist paradigm focusing on the context of a Male' school. The findings of the research reflect on the theories discussed in the literature review; that is the organizational communication by Weick (1969), and focusing on the two theories by Shannon and Weaver (1949). In addition to this the findings of the study also reflected on the communication which takes place between SMT and teachers in a school context and how much it effects the objectives of the school.

It was revealed that formal and informal communication inside the school is inadequate. Moreover, it was identified from the research that teachers as well as SMTs believe that communication is the most vital aspect for a school to achieve its objectives and work smoothly. Furthermore, the study revealed that teachers are unhappy about the communication process in school and teachers are criticized if they voice out their problems and opinions.

It is recommended that school managers should have a close look on the communication process of the school and should consider communication as a vital aspect on achieving school objectives. Moreover, as teachers spend most of their time with students and have a close relation with the students knowing their needs, teachers should be heard and accepted without criticism. Teachers should be appreciated and welcomed.