PERCEPTIONS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL HEAD TEACHERS TOWARDS INTEGRITY

Abstract

Integrity has a multifaceted meaning and abstract concept. Consequently, there is a methodological challenge for integrity study. Moreover, it is difficult and even impracticable to define integrity without relating to culture and context. The deeper we go, the more confused we become. In this context, this dissertation explores the views of head teachers of community schools in line with integrity. Furthermore, the study examines the way they make decisions to cultivate integrity in school. In order to achieve the overall objective, qualitative research with three major research questions a) how do head teachers perceive integrity in schools? b) how is integrity maintained in school by head teachers? and c) what are the paradoxes of integrity in head teachers? are formulated. The study followed the ethnography method to understand the head teachers’ experiences. For the study, community schools from two different geographical locations, one from Kathmandu valley and the other from Jumla were selected purposefully. The head teachers who are interviewed to provide insight into my research questions have been executing their successful role of head teacher in the school for many years. The ideas and themes explored in the study are diverse in

7 terms of caste, culture, geography, environment, schooling, etc. Likewise, some of my participants were youth and the others were in the time of retirement. The study reveals good practices such as work division, work plan, and strategies and digital literacy as guiding ethics followed in the school. On the contrary, bad practices of integrity in school like plummeting in the education budget, lack of accountability and personal party politics are also explored in the study. In school politics, nepotism, hunger strike, and impunity were taken as double-edged sword responsible for violating integrity in their context. This reminded me of my village and town, public and institutional schools’ experience, and my eldest brother who used to suggest me not to be a teacher in his frustration. This frustration was mostly consequences of illegal setting, red-tapism, corruption, frequent educational strike, need for speed money to solve issues before and after the insurgency period. So, I realized integrity as prime importance in the school setting and head teacher as all in all to improve the school environment. In the study, I began with exploring organizational culture and value theory but after several rounds of discussion and field visit, the ideas of Weberian stratification, social Darwinism, neoliberalism, and demonstration effect also incorporated. Accountable head teacher shows transparency in all matters to show integrity whereas an unethical head teacher does reverse to hide matters. In this regard, accountability, integrity, and transparency are interrelated like triad and very difficult to define one another. The findings indicate that integrity is influenced by religion, politics, technological literacy, personal instinct, and a strict policy to end nepotism and impunity. Moreover, the study found that integrity has diverse ideas due to a deeper understanding of school culture and value. In fact, these multiple realities have made the integrity discourse very relevant issues over several years.

8 Additionally, value education creates opportunities to challenge existing barriers and discuss integrity as a viable program for school. I came to know that integrity comes through learning and practices in this sense, policymakers can reform integrity to better accommodate its essence. The study has policy, research and practice implication. Finally, I hope this study will create a space for head teachers’ voices so that its use could be raised for key stakeholders to create transformative educational experiences.