Lim, Angelina;
(2024)
Impact of a School Cluster System on Teacher Wellbeing in Singapore.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
The cluster system is a way of grouping teachers so as to allow professional teacher development and sharing of resources. While research shows promising qualitative results pertaining to teacher wellbeing when the cluster system is implemented effectively, its adoption and research at the school level remain limited. Particularly in Singapore, there is scant research on teacher wellbeing within specialist schools and how it correlates with the cluster system. This exploratory study aims to understand the impact of a school cluster system on teacher wellbeing through the lived experiences of teachers and cluster leads. The research investigated three key questions: 1) How are teachers using the cluster system and adapting it to work for them? 2) What is working and what needs to be changed within this system? 3) How is their use of this system related to their wellbeing? An autism specialist school in Singapore was recruited for this study, utilising a sequential mixed methods design that combined quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. Survey results were descriptively analysed to inform the interview schedules for teachers and cluster leads. The semi-structured interviews were conducted one-on-one, and the results were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings indicate that teachers used the cluster system to support their professional work, with cluster leads playing a key role in this process. Individualised and timely support from cluster leads positively influenced teacher wellbeing. However, social support, identified as important by teachers, was lacking within the cluster system, leading teachers to seek support outside the system to meet their social-emotional needs. Additionally, it was crucial to consider sustainable support mechanisms for teachers without overburdening cluster leads, who faced challenges such as heavy workloads and poorly defined roles. The key findings were discussed alongside implications for the systemic practice of schools and Educational Psychologists (EPs). Therefore, this study contributes to the understanding of systemic approaches to enhancing teacher wellbeing and provides practical recommendations for school leaders and EPs to optimise the benefits of cluster systems.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | Impact of a School Cluster System on Teacher Wellbeing in Singapore |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10200431 |
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