Developing an intentionally inviting school culture: a case study

Abstract

Effective professional development (PD) programmes may deepen teachers’ under-standing, transform their assumptions and beliefs and thus change their teaching practice. This article is part of a research project and focuses specifically on the views of teachers from two schools on implementing invitational education (IE) intentionally in their schools to achieve improved learner success. An explorative, descriptive qualitative research design was considered the most suitable method to address the research problem. Purposive sampling was used for the study since it focused on two schools that had applied for the inviting school award from the International Alliance of IE in 2010. An awareness PD programme was conducted at each of the schools. Data was collected obtaining participants’ views in naïve sketches on how they envisaged implementing IE to make their schools intentionally more inviting. The following categories emerged from the data: assuming an intentionally inviting stance; four levels in the IE model; four dimensions in the IE model, and appreciation for the IE workshop.