Jan Mark Chan OVIII-BMSEE

Module II. School as a Social System

Pre-test

1. C

2. D

3. B

4. A

5. D

6. C

7. D

8. C

9. C

10. A

11. B

12. D

13. B

14. B

15. C

16. D

17. C

18. D

19. C

20. D
IV. Essential Questions

1. As a social system, how do school influence learners, Schools and the larger
community?

Students in schools with a strong sense of community are more likely to be academically
motivated, to act ethically and altruistically, to develop social and emotional competencies and
to avoid a number of problem behaviors. School keeps the moral power of the society secure,
and also maintain the social heritage of society. Schools also protect the historical continuity of
society. Schools also help to keep alive the society’s achievements in the past and transfer it to
the younger generation through the teaching of history and social science. School are the
guardian of society’s future, because learners are the future leaders of the nation.

2. What is the contribution of each key element in making schools as functional social
system?

1. Structure: roles are expectations of positions that are arranged in hierarchy

2. Individual: the individual is a key unit in any social system; regardless of position, people
bring with them individual needs, beliefs, and a cognitive understandings of the job.

3. Culture: represents the unwritten feeling part of the organizations: its shared values.

School is a culture. Like most cultures, it is filled with its own unique rituals and traditions, and
its own set of norms, and mores. Such a system confines both teachers and students. School
culture is also influenced by social and economic forces in society.

4. Politics: informal power relations that develop spontaneously

5. Core: the teaching- learning process is the technical core of school.

6. Environment: everything outside the organization; source of inputs.

7. Outputs: the products of the organization, e.g. educated students

8. Feedback: communication that monitors behavior

9. Effectiveness: the congruence between expected and actual outcomes

 3. As a learning community, what mechanisms do schools take to create a harmonious
relationship and linkages with parents, guardians, and other stakeholders?

Schools take numerous mechanisms to create a harmonious relationship and linkages with
parents, guardians, and other stakeholders and one of these are the close-door pattern, open-
door pattern, and the balanced pattern.

4. Why is SLAC beneficial to teachers? How can it benefit learners as well?

LAC sessions, facilitated by a designated LAC leader, have proven to be effective in engaging a
group of teachers in collaborating and solving shared challenges. LAC sessions encourage
critical reflection amongst teachers which increases the understanding and knowledge of the
curriculum and classroom practices. Also SLAC benefited the learners in a way that they are the
main concern in delivering effective instruction for quality outcomes. It is said to be that the
learner is the center of the educational process, in which all the effort of educands is for the
good of its learners.

Lesson 1: Key Elements of School as a Social System

Engage

What are your initial thoughts about the key elements of school as social system?

These key elements of school as a social system serve as a catalyst for a successful system.
These help school become productive, friendly, and active part of society.

What do you think are these elements?

These elements are characterized by an interdependent structure of parts, a clearly defined

population, differentiated from its environment, a complex network of social relationships and
its own unique culture and are beneficial to the school’s progress.

Key Elements
1. Structure
2. Individual
3.Culture
4. Politics
5. Environment
6. Core
7. Output
8. Feedback
9. Effectiveness

Refocus: What important insight did you learn?

A school is thought of as a social system, with its characteristic institutional functions,

roles and expectations. As an institution it has the function of socialization. There are various
incumbents in it who have to play the roles expected of them. In the social system of a school
the goal behavior is achieved through the integration various institutions.

Refocus: Choose one of the key elements and share your ideas why it is considered very
important in making the school exist effectively as a system.

For me, environment is very important in making the school exist effectively as a system
because having a positive environment in school makes the learner feel a sense of security,
belongingness, and comfort. In this way, learners are motivated to do the task in school and
participate in school activities, which in turn make the school effective as a system.

Refocus: Formulate 3 questions based on what you have read about school as a social
organization. Then answer the question yourself.

1. What if the headmaster failed to act as a leader?

If the headmaster failed to act as a leader, then he/she is incompetent enough to be a
leader, thus this will result a negative impact to the school.

2. What if school failed to act as a social organization?

If school failed to act as a social organization, this means that it becomes foreign to its
society and has no benefits from it.

3. What if parents do not engage in school’s activities?

Parents should always engage in their child’s needs and must contribute to school’s
effort to give children an utmost development and resolving issues concerning about it.
Refocus: School is the guardian of society’s future. Explain in a few lines.

School craft future leaders and great individuals. School see to it that future will be beautiful
and productive; making sure that everyone has access to success. This leads to long-term
benefits for both parties – the young person gains a new, transferable skill-set, while the
community benefits from a template that encourages lasting change.

Refocus: What is the significant role of schools in society? What relationship exists between
these two?

Schools produce the future leaders for all the spheres of the society. The schools like the family,
institution which socialize the individual and provides him some experience. The schools play an
important part in social change because it subjects all the customs, traditions, mores, practices,
etc. of society to continuous criticism.

Society and the schools are inextricably linked. The schools reflect society, and society reflects

the schools. Dewey states that schools are connected with life and a child's experiences
in school are “carried over” as schools are part of society ('“organic whole”), and not “a
composite of isolated parts”

Test

1. Why is school considered as a social system?

According to sociologists, education is a social procession which helps in the eliminating
the defects in the society and many perpetuate desirable institutions and group
activities. The school is one of the formal agencies of socialization. Education imparts
the maximum knowledge of the subjects required for necessary living of a useful and
successful life.

2. Why do you think some schools cannot function effectively as a system?

Ideally, leaders play a key role in determining the nature of the school. They say student
performance should be the primary indicator of a successful school. It makes sense,
really, since the sole purpose of schools is educating their students. But some school
cannot function effectively because of poor leadership, inconsistent screening of
student performance and development, and especially no connection to the society.
 Sub Topics It pays to read because I learned that…
1. Education and Teaching Education and teaching is the noblest
profession.
Education and teaching
3. Education and School Most school systems are designed around
a set of values or ideals
A school must stimulate curiosity in the
young, impressionable minds and equip
them with tools to be better human
beings.
5. The school as a Social Organization Social institution are integral part of
human society.
There is a reciprocal awareness between
the school and society.
7. School and Teacher School and teachers should learn to carry
out responsible activities.
They responsible for the socialization of
the students towards the community.
9. School and Family Should also have a reciprocal awareness
for the development of the learner.
Should help for the development of the
school also.

Lesson 2: The School as a learning Community

Why is school a community? Share your thought.

The school, itself, is a community of its members-teachers, administrators, staff,
students, and families of students. But they also suggest that this collaboration can
reach to the outside, to the community-at-large, to include parents and local businesses.

Refocus: What is the author’s idea about school as a community? Which of these ideas
do you strongly agree with? Why?
The author’s ideas about the school are students must collaboratively engage with the
others and help to achieve common goals, just like in the society at large. Also the
author stressed that learners must feel the sense of belongingness to become
cooperative and productive.

What I strongly agree with is his citation about what Dewey have said, that is, “A society
is a number of people held together because they are working along common lines, in a
common spirit, and with reference to common aims.” This means that in order to
prepare the child to a bigger society, we must train them first how to go along with
others and work as a group to achieve common goals.

Refocus: How can a school exists effectively as a community within a community?

If a school is to be inclusive, it will need to locate itself within society. Managers and
practitioners will then need to consider their place within the broader context. As such,
schools reflect community needs, both social and educational. Essentially, schools exist
to enable learning and teaching to take place, which does not happen in a vacuum.
Relationships with parents and the broader community are central to the effectiveness
of schools.

Refocus: Which of these three patterns do you prefer? Why?

I preferred the balanced pattern because in this way both school and parents will not
over extend on what or how the child must develop. They can cooperate with each
other for the good of the child.

Test
1. Why is school a community?
School is a community because it is comprises of teachers, administrators, staff,
students, and families of students who collaboratively work with each other to
achieve a common goal, that is, to give learnings a quality learning experience.

2. Given a chance to become a school administrator, how can you create a

wholesome school learning community? What can you do to create a harmonious
relationship between your school and the local community?

School as a Wholesome Learning Community

To Do Action
School should be an environment where Give them tasks that are suited to them
a child becomes an adult. which is applicable to the real life
situation.
Learners must feel that they belong Create a good ambiance for the child
Learners are freely to express their Creating student-teacher session
opinions
Learners and teachers must follow rules Impose rules that are good to all
that are beneficial to the school
 Creating a Harmonious school-community relationship
To Do Action
Extracurricular Activities for parents, Make a monthly or yearly activity where
teachers, and children parents, teachers, and children can bond
Create linkages Reach out for the local government and
other private institutions which can help
the school.
Creating real life experience for the What leaners have experience in school
learner will eventually be applied to a larger
community.

3. Dewey warns against the separation of the school from the life of the community,
arguing that, “The greatest waste in the school for the learner stems from her/his
inability to apply the acquired experience learnt in the classroom to a use in
everyday life.” React to this statement.
Dewey is indeed has a point. It is a greatest waste if the learner don’t know how to
apply his/her experiences in school to a real-life situation. It is like all the effort of
the school has been put into waste.

4. After accomplishing the recommended readings on SLAC, please answer the

following:
A. What is SLAC? What is the rationale/purpose behind DEPED’s implementation?
●to improve the teaching-learning process that will lead to improved learning
among the students;
●to nurture successful teachers;
●to enable teachers to support each other to continuously improve their
●content and pedagogical knowledge, practice, skills, and attitudes; and
●to foster a professional collaborative spirit among school heads, teachers, and
the community as a whole.

B. What problems were encountered by the school in the implementation of

SLAC? What recommendations were given?
Learner diversity and student inclusion, Lesson content and pedagogy, Assessment and
reporting, and Curriculum contextualization, localization and indigenization

Based on the findings and conclusions drawn from the collected data, the researcher
recommends the following: The Department of Education (Cavite) may consider the
proposed activities to intensify the integration of 21st century skills in LAC
implementation. The LAC implementer may consider the assigning of different roles.
Other researchers may consider to conduct a related study with different set of
respondents. School heads, Dep Ed and policy makers will benefit from this study as the
findings could provide feedback which would be used as basis for improving practices.
An assessment of school heads in the implementation of the Learning Action Cell with
which to improve the leadership acumen and project outcomes. Teachers, this study,
will be encouraged to foster desirable work attitude and have a strong commitment to
fulfil their duties and responsibilities with the intensified implementation of the
Learning Action Cell they will be equipped with enough knowledge and it would yield to
better education service delivery and help improve the quality of basic education.