Abstract
Staff meetings are a regular occurrence in schools, yet both teachers and principals typically report dissatisfaction with these meetings. The current investigation seeks to understand the viewpoints of public-school teachers on silence during staff meetings. This was the first known investigation on the topic using Q methodology. Data analysis extracted three distinct viewpoints: Get the Party Started, I Don’t Care Anymore, and Don’t Stop Believin’. This study provides the results of data analysis, responds to research questions, and makes recommendations for meeting design and facilitation. The findings indicate how the principal facilitates the meeting seems to have a more pronounced influence on teacher silence behaviors, teacher attitudes towards staff meetings, and their own silence levels, while the leadership style was less impactful. Regardless of the principal’s leadership style, teachers report increased satisfaction when the principal intentionally designed and facilitated relevant and impactful staff meetings where group norms were followed.
Recommended Citation
Zito, Anne EdD and Larwin, Karen H. PhD
(2024)
"The Sound of Silence: The Educator’s Perspective on Silence during Staff Meetings,"
Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership: Vol. 9:
Iss.
2, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/joel/vol9/iss2/3
Included in
Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, Other Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Urban Education Commons