Unpacking the Layers of Employee Engagement in Schools
At the core of every thriving school lies a palpable pulse of engagement—a dynamic synergy of thoughts, feelings, actions, and words that educators and staff extend towards their roles and the school itself. This post explores the essence of employee engagement within schools and its profound impact on organisational development (OD) initiatives.
Employee engagement in schools is multidimensional, encapsulating the commitment of educators and staff to the school's ethos, extending beyond their duties to contribute actively to its success. It's a psychological bond—a choice that shapes how they interact with their roles and the school community at large. Engaged staff members are not only driven by their work but are also attuned to the needs of students, colleagues, and the school's future.
Yet, there lies a nuanced complexity: an individual may be immersed in the OD intervention without corresponding engagement with the school, or may feel aligned with the school's ethos yet distant from the OD initiatives. Such misalignments can hinder the effectiveness of OD strategies. For an OD intervention to flourish, there must be congruence in thinking, feeling, and doing across all facets of the school's operation.
Four Dimensions of School Engagement
At the core of every thriving school lies a palpable pulse of engagement—a dynamic synergy of thoughts, feelings, actions, and words that educators and staff extend towards their roles and the school itself. This post explores the essence of employee engagement within schools and its profound impact on organisational development (OD) initiatives.
Employee engagement in schools is a multidimensional construct that encapsulates the commitment of educators and staff to the school's ethos, extending beyond their duties to contribute actively to its success. It's a psychological bond—a choice that shapes how they interact with their roles and the school community at large. Engaged staff members are not only driven by their work but are also attuned to the needs of students, colleagues, and the school's future.
Yet, there lies a nuanced complexity: an individual may be immersed in the OD intervention without corresponding engagement with the school, or may feel aligned with the school's ethos yet distant from the OD initiatives. Such misalignments can hinder the effectiveness of OD strategies. For an OD intervention to flourish, there must be congruence in thinking, feeling, and doing across all facets of the school's operation.
Here’s a tool that can be useful that I learned from Dr Kalindi Kale (Symbiosis Coaching):
Thinking: Concentrating on the commitment of staff to the school's educational philosophy and teaching methods. This includes a dedication to continuous learning and staying abreast of educational trends.
Feeling: Fostering a strong emotional connection to the school community, including relationships with colleagues, students, and parents. This aspect also involves feeling valued and supported in the school environment.
Doing: Actively participating in school initiatives, going beyond the basic requirements of the job to contribute to the school's success, and being involved in extracurricular activities or professional development.
Saying: Advocating for the school's mission, achievements, and values, both within and outside the school community. This includes positive communication about the school to parents, the community, and through social media.
Three-layered OD Engagement
The image depicts a "Three Layered Engagement for OD" framework, tailored for an OD intervention within a school setting. This model demonstrates how engagement operates at three interconnected levels:
At the core lies the staff's engagement with OD activities. This is where the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the school staff directly intersect with the OD interventions. For these initiatives to be fruitful, it's crucial that the staff are intellectually, emotionally, and behaviourally involved in these change processes.
Encircling this core is the broader engagement of the staff with the school as an organisation. This middle layer is pivotal as it mirrors the staff's alignment with the school's values, culture, and goals. It determines how staff members perceive the school and their willingness to contribute to its success.
The outermost layer represents the engagement of the school's top management towards OD activities. Leadership's commitment is vital, serving as the impetus behind OD interventions. They must fully embrace and advocate for these initiatives, ensuring they are strategically aligned with the school's objectives and effectively implemented across the institution.
This model underscores that for an OD intervention to be effective in a school, engagement must be nurtured at all levels. The staff must be committed to the OD activities at the core, feel a sense of belonging and commitment to the school, and be supported by a leadership team that is actively engaged in the OD process. Such a comprehensive approach to engagement is vital for sustaining meaningful and long-lasting organisational change within the educational environment.
Levels of Engagement
Levels of engagement, as defined by Sarah Cook, include cognitive, emotional, physical, and advocacy elements. In an educational setting, these translate into educators' mental investment in their work, the emotional bonds they share with the school community, their willingness to partake in extracurricular activities and professional development, and their advocacy of the school's vision. You will notice that this follows the same pattern as the Say, Think, Feel, Do model.
Cognitive Engagement in Education: The degree to which educators and staff are mentally invested in their work, including lesson planning, student progress, and educational innovation.
Emotional Engagement in the School Community: The depth of emotional connection that staff and educators have with their students, colleagues, and the broader school community. This includes a sense of belonging, motivation, and commitment to the school's ethos.
Physical Engagement in School Activities: The willingness to contribute beyond standard expectations, such as participating in extracurricular activities, school events, and professional development opportunities.
Advocacy for the School: The extent to which staff and educators positively represent and endorse the school to parents, the community, and in professional networks, reflecting pride and belief in the school's mission.
It’s clear that the journey of fostering engagement in a school setting is intricate and essential. It requires a nuanced understanding of the diverse layers of engagement and a concerted effort from all stakeholders to realise a vision where every individual's engagement contributes to the collective mission. My attempt in this post was to summarise the various facets of engagement, illustrating how a school's ethos, its OD initiatives, and the passionate performance of its educators are interwoven into a tapestry for success rather than a step-by-step route. I’m excited to keep exploring this exciting area.
About This Series
As Shane progresses through his Organisational Development Coaching Certification, this blog series serves as both a record of his educational journey and a practical guide for leaders in international schools. Each article simplifies complex OD principles into actionable insights, specifically tailored for schools.
