Pathology of Teachers' Social Capital in the Education System
Subject Areas : Research on Iranian social issues
leila jafari
1
,
Hassan Ghanimati
2
,
Leila nasrolahi
3
1 - PhD student in Sociology, Economics and Development, Faculty of Literature & Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 - Assistant professor, Department of Social SciAssistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. ences - Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, West tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences-Sociology, Faculty of Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Keywords: Education, social capital, teachers, school, Tehran City.,
Abstract :
Pathology of Teachers' Social Capital
in the Education System
Leila Jafari*
Hasan Ghanimati**
Leila Nasrolahi***
The present study aimed to understand the reproduction of social capital among teachers in the education system. The method of this study was qualitative and grounded theory. The study universe of this study was 35 teachers in Tehran who were selected purposefully and theoretically, observing the theoretical saturation criterion. Also, data collection method in the present study was in-depth interviews, and MAXQDA software was used to analyze the data. Accordingly, in the present study, 37 subcategories and 10 main categories were extracted from the interview texts. The research findings showed that causal conditions (participation and trust, and actions of officials) have caused the reproduction of teachers' social capital, and strategies such as knowledge management and improvement of welfare services are affected by contextual conditions (job problems and issues, and internal conflicts) and intervening conditions (structural support and social support). The outcomes of the aforementioned strategies have also included: increasing and promoting social capital and improving the quality of teaching. Finally, the results of the present study showed that creating a platform for criticism, establishing organizational justice, and eliminating feelings of discrimination or inequality led to the elimination of discouragement and strengthening empathy among teachers. This approach not only strengthens the spirit of teamwork, but also prevents the gradual erosion of the school's social capital.
Keywords: Education, social capital, teachers, school, Tehran City.
Introduction
The school, as a fundamental pillar of formal education, strives to achieve the goals of education. Teachers are considered key elements of this organization and play a fundamental role in this goal. As one of the pillars of education, the teacher has a fundamental role in the quality of education and, consequently, learning. The success or failure of educational programs and activities of every system and every country depends on teachers. In the education organization, which aims to educate the future generation and also acts in a way to provide a trained workforce, there are several influential and role-playing elements and factors, among which the role of the teacher is the most important. The helm of tomorrow's generation is actually in the hands of teachers who are working in the country's schools. The productivity and efficiency of these forces are due to various factors. One of the most important factors affecting teachers is social capital. In the past, the main factor of underdevelopment of countries was mainly considered to be the lack of financial and physical capital, but today it has become clear that the injection of only physical and financial capital does not accelerate the growth and development process in countries. Rather, countries that have efficient organizations and institutions, as well as efficient and specialized human capital, can absorb their physical and financial capital in a more appropriate way and use it to accelerate the growth and development process (Jalilvand, 2009). The present study aims to discover pathology of teacher’s social capital and identify model for reproducing social capital in the workplace of teachers in Tehran using the data-based theory method and seeks to answer the fundamental question of how to reproduce social capital among teachers and stop its decline?
Method
In grounded theory, the researcher does not start with a theory that he already has in mind, but rather begins his work in the field of reality and allows the theory to emerge from the data he collects (Noghani Dokht Bahmani et al., 2019: 40). In the present method, in three stages of open, axial, and selective coding, concepts and categories were extracted from the interviews and presented in the form of a paradigmatic model of grounded theory. In the present study, after removing parts unrelated to the research topic, the texts related to the interviews were broken down into sentences in the open coding stage and initial raw codes were produced. In such a way that one or more codes were assigned to each sentence in a way that covered the meaning of the sentence in question. Then, secondary codes were produced from the primary codes in such a way that the primary codes that were similar to each other were grouped under the title of a single unit. Then, secondary codes that were related to each other were also transformed into conceptual codes. After several related concepts of categories were placed and the relationships between categories were established, the main categories were formed. In the next step, which is related to axial coding, the phenomenon of "reproduction of teachers' social capital" was determined as the axial phenomenon. Finally, in the selective coding stage, by selecting the selected categories and specifying their relationships, a process-like model was drawn. The study population of the present study was teachers working in the education system of Tehran, who were selected using the non-probability purposive sampling method. The process of sample selection and data analysis continued until we reached theoretical saturation, meaning that no new data was obtained from the analysis of the interviews. In general, 45 interviews were conducted, and we witnessed repetitive data from interview 35 onwards. The data collection method in the present study was an unstructured in-depth interview. In order to determine the validity of the research, the member validity method was used; In this way, the final results of the research were returned to the study samples and, after confirmation, it was concluded that the research had the desired validity.
Findings
Causal conditions are usually those events and incidents that affect a phenomenon or lead to the occurrence or development of a phenomenon. Among the most important causal conditions are job competence and the actions of officials. Contextual conditions are a specific set of conditions that come together at a time and place to create a set of circumstances or issues that individuals respond to their actions/interactions. Among the cases that fall under contextual conditions; the job status of teachers with four subcategories of job insecurity and internal conflicts, intervening conditions are general and broad conditions that mitigate or change causal conditions in some way. That is, they make the effect of one or more factors more active, slower, or more intense. Intervening conditions mostly arise from unexpected and accidental circumstances that need to be responded to with actions and interactions. The most important intervening conditions are: norms with two categories of cooperation and social support. Certainly, with the occurrence of any phenomenon in society, strategies and measures are used to manage, and respond to it. Strategic actions/interactions are purposeful and meaningful actions that are taken to solve a problem that arises in everyday life. The most important strategies are: knowledge management and improving welfare services. Wherever an action/interaction is taken or not taken in response to a matter or problem or to manage or maintain a situation by individual, conflict arises. Some of these consequences are desired and some are unwanted. The results of actions and interactions are what has happened or will happen because of the interactions that individuals and groups have under certain conditions. The aforementioned consequences can be desired or unwanted. Improving education performance through improving the quality of teachers' teaching and increasing teachers' job satisfaction are among the consequences of reproducing teachers' social capital.
Discussion
Teaching social ethics and promoting values such as humility, empathy, and healthy competition are also effective factors in creating a positive organizational culture. Teachers, as role models, need an environment in which honesty in speech and action is appreciated. This requires long-term cultural and educational planning that can help strengthen trust and social interactions in educational environments. Financial pressures and livelihood concerns reduce teachers' energy for social participation. Improving the economic situation of teachers through a fair payment system, supplementary insurance, and welfare support is a necessary prerequisite for their social obligations. This helps teachers to engage in their educational and social activities more calmly, and as a result, social capital is strengthened among them. Training programs should focus on communication skills, teamwork, and conflict management. Creating networks for exchanging experience between experienced and novice teachers both improves educational quality and strengthens social bonds. Joint problem-solving workshops are a good example of this approach, which can help increase positive interactions and trust between teachers. Existing barriers such as overwork, poor evaluations and job insecurity should be identified and corrected. Reforming administrative structures, reducing unnecessary workloads and creating a work-life balance provide the necessary space for constructive interactions. These measures can help create a positive and productive learning environment in which teachers can easily collaborate with each other. The potential of cyberspace for teachers to build professional networks is often overlooked. The development of dedicated platforms for the exchange of teaching experiences and the intelligent use of social media can facilitate interactions, provided that they are accompanied by digital literacy training. This not only helps to strengthen social capital, but also allows teachers to benefit from each other’s experiences. Discrimination between teachers from different schools and inequity in the distribution of facilities undermines trust in the system. Raising the social status of teachers through public recognition, transparency in decision-making, and keeping promises will strengthen their sense of worth and belonging. These actions can help create a positive and empathetic learning environment in which teachers feel comfortable working together.
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* PhD student in Sociology, Economics and Development, Faculty of Literature & Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0863-5433
**Corresponding Author: Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4167-5648
*** Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences-Sociology, Faculty of Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7586-1663
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