1 Valuing the importance of school culture

1.1 Schools as living spaces

A focus on common pedagogical values and norms can lead to the formation of a jointly supported school culture (Schroll, 2016). Ideally, the school culture is characterised by relationships of recognition and the shaping of relationships between the educators and the learners. It then enables learning in a positive, interesting, friendly and open atmosphere of mutual trust. Central to this are moral recognition, the granting of equal rights and ensuring opportunities for co-determination for all (Helsper & Lingkost, 2002).

The long-term goal of value-based school culture is that all persons involved in school life demonstrate these values in their everyday actions through intrinsic motivation and identification (Standop, 2016). This is because a good classroom climate, relationships between teachers and pupils based on partnership, and value-forming teaching are among the central quality dimensions of school. Value formation and the acquisition of value attitudes form a sustainable framework for democracy education.

In addition, according to empirical findings, teaching effectiveness is also related to pupil participation, classroom management, feedback, self-direction in learning and the teaching of meta-cognitive competences. In this sense, all efforts towards a positive value-oriented and human rights-based school culture are to be considered particularly valuable in the sense of the positive development of our youth. Teachers can work individually or, even better, in teams to achieve these goals in their schools.