Goodwill or Wind Chill?

Abstract

The impact of the working environment has been shown to either strengthen or constrain teacher identity, and a strong and vital university ethos has the potential to raise the levels of both teacher and student engagement. Teachers are shaped by institutional cultures, and ethos is a key determinant in promoting social and emotional well-being and mental health for all. A collegial and supportive ethos with a sense of community and support is essential for teacher identity to flourish. Yet what is “ethos”? It can be described as institutional core values, attitudes, beliefs, and culture, or, more simply in terms of personal aspects such as the positive attitudes of teachers and students. This chapter examines the ethos in a university in Western Japan through an ‘ethos indicator' questionnaire administered to 237 first year students. Five constructs, ‘atmosphere,' ‘fostering relationships,' ‘pressure,' ‘classroom stimulation,' and ‘values' emerged from the data. However, there are some indications that the university is not meeting some students' learning needs – perhaps an indication of ‘wind chill.' The findings act as a ‘tin-opener' into the culture of the institution and indicate that the ethos works for many students, but others feel a lack of challenge. This suggests that this institution is not pushing its students hard enough. Tertiary establishments may well benefit from institutional evaluation of ethos to understand student feelings and for the development of teacher identity.