Well-being and Cooperation in the Rural School

ĎULÍKOVÁ, Lenka, Miroslav BIELIK and Lenka GULOVÁ. Well-being and Cooperation in the Rural School. In The European Conference on Educational Research. 2022.

Basic information

• Original name: Well-being and Cooperation in the Rural School
• Authors: ĎULÍKOVÁ, Lenka, Miroslav BIELIK and Lenka GULOVÁ.
• Edition: The European Conference on Educational Research, 2022.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• Keywords in English: inclusive education; well-being; competition
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

The Rural School in which the research was conducted is a municipal nine-year school attended by 284 pupils in 13 classes in 2019/2020, who were taught by 20 teachers and 7 teaching assistants, as well as an educational counselor and a school psychologist. The research team at the school collected data on 40 observation days, conducted 12 interviews, and reviewed documentation and other sources. Community features are very characteristic of the school, which exhibits close collaboration with parents, the founder, community associations, and families. These community features are reflected in the school and classroom environment where an atmosphere of togetherness and cooperation between pupils and teachers is evident. Community is perceived in a positive sense, as a safe space, open to interpersonal relationships and some belonging and sharing (Villa & Knutas, 2020; Koizumi, 2002; Wheeler, Guevara & Smith 2018). The analysis reveals the former headmistress's strong desire for a friendly school environment, authenticity, and well-being in a Rural School. There was an evident concern in the school for pupils' success, development, and relationship building. Naturally, these efforts are directed towards being accommodating to all staff and their needs. These mechanisms rely on open communication, warmth, helpfulness, empathy, and cooperation and this automatically restricts constant competition. The gradual establishment and deepening of relationships between school actors can lead precisely to well-being as a philosophy and vision of the school. (Samnøy et al. 2020; Addi-Raccah, Amar & Ashwal, 2017). One of the outcomes of the research is the emphasis on the importance of pedagogical role models in the school environment and the importance of high-quality experienced teachers for school development. The school management also plays a major role. As has been emphasized more than once based on research findings, the main link between all is "enlightened" school leadership and its relationship to life (Johns, Kilpatrick, Falk, & Mulford, 1999). The example of the Rural School illustrates how essential it was for the whole teaching staff that the headteacher was willing to take risks and take non-standard steps that were quite rare in similar settings. She confronted the established mechanisms of pupil selection and, by embracing them, forced others to adopt a new view of what a school should be. It gave others the opportunity to break free from their preconceived ideas of the world through cooperation and encounters with different elements.