Sustainability of Sufficiency-Based Schools
761
physical environment. Professional development was the second least affected by
the change of principals, because of the training support the foundation (no registration fee required) provided for SEP teacher leaders, who then could implement
SEP, train, and coach the rest of the school. However, a few schools faced the loss of
experienced SEP leaders due to staff turnover and retirement. This interfered with
succession of teacher leadership.
Second, the first important key success factor was the implementation of the
whole school approach, involving participation from key stakeholders. This finding
supports the idea of Dharmapiya (2014) that the SEP movement in schools should
incorporate SEP in all activities by all actors within the school. Sustainability requires
the involvement and ability of the key school stakeholders (Giles and Hargreaves
2006). The focus on internal key stakeholders (teachers, students, principal) is also
aligned with earlier SEP school research (Bunkua and Chinprahut 2014) and of
Lambert’s (2007) work, which stated that roles previously performed by only school
principals should be delegated to others.
The findings here also highlight the importance of development/training of SEP
teacher leaders, SEP student leaders, other teachers, new teachers, and new principals. This supports the argument that continuous learning and mutual support among
colleagues is essential for the sustained cultivation of an SEP mindset within a school.
A culture of professional development is established through constructive/collegial
learning in the school and in its network (Goodson et al. 2006; Jacobson 2011;
Bezzina 2006), and through teachers finding suitable leaders (Jacobson 2011). Importantly, these findings reinforce the argument that planning for the sustainability of a
school’s culture change needs to be part of the earlier stages, rather than only toward
the end of program development (Fagen and Flay 2009).
One school managed to maintain its SEP culture thanks to the influence of the
Educational District Authority and educational superintendents. This aligns with the
findings of Datnow and Stringfield (2000), who suggest that efforts to implement sustained school reform are more likely to be effective when educators at various levels
(i.e., state, district, reform design team, school, classroom, individual) share goals
and work in concert. In addition, the support from Educational District Authorities
and educational superintendents seemed to be more influential than other external
stakeholder groups (i.e., parents, the local community). This might be because the
school had to directly report to the Educational District Authority and educational
superintendents. Furthermore, the institutionalized SEP school accreditation system
at the Ministry of Education and the 2008 National Basic Education Core Curriculum (defining SEP characteristics as one of the aims of education), may foster the
resilience of the program. In sum, sustainability should start from the inside, but
external support, if gained or developed, can act as another level of safety-net for the
sustainability of cultivating the SEP mindset. Therefore, most schools had the ability
to maintain their culture of cultivating SEP amidst the unclear or unsupported policy
from new school principals.
This might temporarily sustain the change while waiting for the new principal
to develop the correct understanding from the annual development course/program
of the Sufficiency School Center, Foundation of Virtuous Youth. This is also in line
761
physical environment. Professional development was the second least affected by
the change of principals, because of the training support the foundation (no registration fee required) provided for SEP teacher leaders, who then could implement
SEP, train, and coach the rest of the school. However, a few schools faced the loss of
experienced SEP leaders due to staff turnover and retirement. This interfered with
succession of teacher leadership.
Second, the first important key success factor was the implementation of the
whole school approach, involving participation from key stakeholders. This finding
supports the idea of Dharmapiya (2014) that the SEP movement in schools should
incorporate SEP in all activities by all actors within the school. Sustainability requires
the involvement and ability of the key school stakeholders (Giles and Hargreaves
2006). The focus on internal key stakeholders (teachers, students, principal) is also
aligned with earlier SEP school research (Bunkua and Chinprahut 2014) and of
Lambert’s (2007) work, which stated that roles previously performed by only school
principals should be delegated to others.
The findings here also highlight the importance of development/training of SEP
teacher leaders, SEP student leaders, other teachers, new teachers, and new principals. This supports the argument that continuous learning and mutual support among
colleagues is essential for the sustained cultivation of an SEP mindset within a school.
A culture of professional development is established through constructive/collegial
learning in the school and in its network (Goodson et al. 2006; Jacobson 2011;
Bezzina 2006), and through teachers finding suitable leaders (Jacobson 2011). Importantly, these findings reinforce the argument that planning for the sustainability of a
school’s culture change needs to be part of the earlier stages, rather than only toward
the end of program development (Fagen and Flay 2009).
One school managed to maintain its SEP culture thanks to the influence of the
Educational District Authority and educational superintendents. This aligns with the
findings of Datnow and Stringfield (2000), who suggest that efforts to implement sustained school reform are more likely to be effective when educators at various levels
(i.e., state, district, reform design team, school, classroom, individual) share goals
and work in concert. In addition, the support from Educational District Authorities
and educational superintendents seemed to be more influential than other external
stakeholder groups (i.e., parents, the local community). This might be because the
school had to directly report to the Educational District Authority and educational
superintendents. Furthermore, the institutionalized SEP school accreditation system
at the Ministry of Education and the 2008 National Basic Education Core Curriculum (defining SEP characteristics as one of the aims of education), may foster the
resilience of the program. In sum, sustainability should start from the inside, but
external support, if gained or developed, can act as another level of safety-net for the
sustainability of cultivating the SEP mindset. Therefore, most schools had the ability
to maintain their culture of cultivating SEP amidst the unclear or unsupported policy
from new school principals.
This might temporarily sustain the change while waiting for the new principal
to develop the correct understanding from the annual development course/program
of the Sufficiency School Center, Foundation of Virtuous Youth. This is also in line