Sustaining a vision of socially-just communities: Aspects of a case

study of professional learning at Capper School

Jon Austin, Faculty of Education, University of Southern Queensland

A paper presented at the Social Justice symposium, Australian

Association of Research in Education conference, Hilton Hotel,

Brisbane, December 3rd, 1997.

Introduction

The Capper School site presents as something of a rarity in the area of

interest of the Reform in Education research project, primarily because

of the very explicit values base of the school and, with this, a clear

sense of the relationship between schools and social change. There are

many windows through which our experiences and emerging understanding

of some aspects of the Capper School could be viewed. In the following

paragraphs are outlined a number of these, but it must be understood

from the outset that the evidence and experiences of the university

research team have been of very limited duration and intensity, and, as

such, can only serve to enable somewhat superficial analysis to be

engaged in. There is much in this site that makes for more detailed

study within longer time frames.

It is necessary from the outset to raise to visibility the position of

the university research team members and writer/s. The primary

university-based researchers come to this project from the position of

white male academics, concerned to promote activity in schools that

might be seen to lead to the creation of more socially-just

communities. They generally support, encourage, and attempt to

contribute to the theorising about matters such as transformative

teaching and leadership, social justice, and critical pedagogy. As

such, they find much to applaud in the experience of the Capper School,

and take a position that such work deserves to be communicated to a

wider audience for critique, encouragement and development.

Methodology

Drawing upon a commitment to social justice, the approach to the

research process in this study reflects the hope of the university

researchers that genuinely collaborative and participatory

methodologies and procedures could be developed and applied to this

situation. In itself, this commitment to the democratizing of the

research process presents a number of interesting and perplexing

dilemmas that warrant description and analysis.

This project forms part of a larger, multi-site study of aspects of the

relationship between schools and social justice. In the early stage of

the larger project, a number of schools were invited to participate in

a joint exploration of the idea of social justice. This process

involved two focus group-type sessions separated by a structured

data-gathering and reflective process. This part of the project is

described in greater detail elsewhere ,but the importance of this for

the Capper School research was that it enabled a relationship of

confidence and trust to develop between university personnel and

school-based participants. From this initial part of the project, a

number of schools indicated a preparedness to continue an investigation

of social justice in each of their respective sites. In all, four

"branch" projects were developed, the Capper School project being one

of these.

The intention of the university team was to work collaboratively with

the school-based participants. The primary reasons for this were that,

given the nature of the topic under investigation - social justice -

the university team was well aware of the limitations of their own

knowledge and insight in the area, thereby admitting the necessity of

entering into mutualistic forms of inquiry. A second reason for this

approach derived from a dominant view within the university team of the

both the nature and purpose of education research. Based heavily on

the participatory research theorists/workers such as Orlando Fals

Borda, Stephen Kemmis, Robin McTaggart and Colin Henry, the university

team believed that valuable contributions to both understanding and to

practice are to be had by entering into genuinely collaborative

relationships of inquiry.

Within such relationships, there is no attempt to pretend that partners

bring the same types of expertise to the inquiry. Indeed, it was

largely because of a recognition of the respective strengths and

weaknesses resident within the university and school-based participants

that this project has probably proceeded as it has. In many

"traditional" research settings - whether quantitatively or

qualitatively based - the role of the researcher is, put crudely, to

describe, diagnose and prescribe: a medical model. In this case,

however, the university research team believed that the integrity of

the whole project was dependent upon forging authentic relationships of

mutuality wherein the university participants were seen as researching

with the school-based participants as opposed to researching on or

about them. It is highly likely that the richness of the evidence

gathered and the portrayals and insights derived therefrom is

significantly greater as a result of this commitment to mutualistic

inquiry than would have been the case otherwise.

All of this is not to say, however, that the research experienced no

challenges or that the topic of investigation has been clearly and

totally mined. On the contrary, despite the attempts by the university

participants to engage in genuine collaborative activity, there is

strong evidence to suggest that not all members of the school

participant group accepted this. For instance, not all members of the

profile group were prepared to talk individually with the university

team about the project. There has been relatively little face-to-face

interaction with members of the school community other than the school

principal and deputy-principal and the supporting foundation's

director. By the same token, the university participants were able to

secure access to all sources of information and insight that they

believed important in the pursuit of this inquiry.

The point to be raised here is that intentions are difficult to

translate into actualities, and as a consequence, this project must be

considered to have been more an emergent design qualitative case study

than mutualistic or collaborative research. The researchers entered

the site with some idea of a basic focus of the inquiry, and with some

ideas as to appropriate methodologies. The initial and following

visits to the site allowed for a firming up of the early ideas of

focus, and discussions with site-based participants a final set of

guiding questions to be generated. These are presented and described

below.

As a result of the emergent nature of the focus of research, the

methodology also evolved as the need for particular forms of data or

evidence became apparent , as gaps in the data base were exposed, and

as new ideas were contributed by the site-based participants.

The philosophy and practice of collaborative or participatory inquiry

warrant considerable development and theorising as a result of the

experiences of this project team. While this is not the place to enter

into such an activity, it is important to identify some issues and

points for later consideration. One of these relates to the exercise

of power within the research process, with the main question being one

of how to genuinely share power. A second point for further

exploration is that of the presence and role of the researcher: how

should the researcher be both located and represented in the research

process? A final point is that of rights of access and communication of

insights gained in the course of the research process.

The methodology of the project revolved around basic features of case

study technique, with open-ended and closed interviews, document

analysis, observation and photographic interpretation forming the main

data-gathering strategies. The university participants visited the

school site five times, and conducted one interview at the supporting

foundation's premises in Brisbane. Where interviewees gave their

consent, interviews were recorded. This occurred in all but two

interviews. Audio tapes, transcripts and notes of interviews form part

of the case record, as does a series of photographs.

Data Analysis

Interviews with participants where permission was granted to audiotape

were reduced to a form of an expanded running sheet by a research

assistant who had attended a number of the interviews. This procedure

provided in expanded summary form a representation of the content of

the interview that used verbatim comments as well as paraphrasing by

the research assistant. An example of the form in which the data or

evidence was generated is to be found in Appendix 1. This process

needs to be explored further in order for the trustworthiness (1Maykut

& Morehouse 1994, p 64) of the data to be established, or, at least, to

provide a justification for the reading and interpretation of this

project contained in this report. It should also provide for

alternative readings to be made.

The expanded running sheet approach to dealing with interview material

was considered to be an appropriate preliminary data analysis procedure

because of the point of development of the project at the time of the

interviews in question. While the study was very much of an emergent

design in the early stages (as described, supra.), by the time that

interview data was available, it was possible to identify a number of

areas of interest for the research team that could be gleaned from the

interview tapes. The research assistant, who had been involved in site

visits and some interview sessions with the other researchers, worked

through each interview tape with the purpose of reducing the content to

single sentence "grabs" so as to facilitate more ready sifting through

the data by the research team at the analysis stage. This process

carries with it a number of problems, and these will be explored in

greater detail below.

There is, however, another methodological matter that needs to be

raised here as well, and that is the view to be taken of the role of

the research assistant. In many ethnographic studies, a research

assistant will be entrusted with a wide variety of responsibilities,

and this may at times lead to questions of the power of the assistant

vis-ˆ-vis the study. Margery Wolf, for example, reports on this

process during her fieldwork in a Taiwanese village during the early

1960's:

......our field assistant, Wu Chiueh, a young Taiwanese woman with the

equivalent of a tenth-grade education, did the majority of the

observing and interviewing, and in a very real sense defined the topic.

She had been working with us for nearly two years and she had learned

to formulate questions and report answers in a format that was

comfortable to our Western minds. She had come to look for, or at

least to recognize, the kinds of issues that interested us. (Wolf,

19922, p.9)

While the present study does not fall within the scope of the type of

project Wolf was undertaking, the power of a research assistant to

significantly influence and even direct a study is just as obvious. In

this study, the research assistant had considerable autonomy, at some

stages, to "define the topic"- and this might well be seen in the

preparation of the audiotaped interviews for analysis as discussed next

- but the difficulties associated with the perceived surrender of

responsibility for, as Clifford Geertz puts it, "reducing the

puzzlement", for discovering "the informal logic of actual life" (cited

in Wolf, 1992, p 127) have been avoided here by the process of

presenting and developing alternative readings of the data and

evidence, wherein the research assistant's reading was added to those

of the principal researchers.

It is crucial that the process of data preparation used in this project

be analyzed in some detail, since there are a number of issues involved

here that should be laid bare. The first of these is that of the loss

of important non-textual information contained on the audiotape

recording. There was no attempt to provide commentary on the possible

state-of-mind of the interviewee. So, for instance, there is no record

on the running sheet of points at which the interviewee appeared to be

excited, nervous, hesitant or defensive. This information was not

included in the analysis process, but could have been by re-visiting

the tape recordings an constructing an 'emotions' running sheet to

accompany the textual material.

A second issue is that of the validity of using a single reading of the

interview as a basis of analysis and interpretation. This area is

perhaps the most difficult to enter and leave unscathed,

methodologically, but also presents as an aspect of some of the most

exciting debate and dialogue currently underway in the field of

qualitative research. This dialogue revolves around the location and

representation of the researcher in the analysis and reporting process.

Considerable debate has been engaged in on the topic of the presence

of the researcher in the data / evidence gathering process, but the

questions of whether and in what way the researcher should be present

in the reporting aspect of the research process has been only recently

raised and engaged in the context of postmodernist research approaches

and dictates.

The dialogue / debate about this aspect of the research process might

be reduced (at a great risk of over-simplification) to one of what

Prain (19973) describes as the conflict between those who would eschew

the injection of the persona of the researcher in any sense in the

research writing process and those who would assert the primacy of

locating and presenting the idiosyncrasy (in identity terms) of the

researcher.

The former position is typified by Docherty (19934),inheriting and

developing a line of thought from Foucault (19795):

Docherty (1993: 59) argues that the modernist view of the author (as

the reputed originary site for 'new' textual meaning outside a given

socio-historical situation) fails to recognize the ahistorical idealist

and essentialist underpinnings of such a view...[T]he limitations to

this form of authority are no more clearly evident than in these

author's absolute reliance on what he terms 'parasitic citation'. By

this he means the writer's appeal to a prior authority or authorities

in order to become the institutionally agreed upon representative of a

larger correctness through which 'new' knowledge is objectified. (Prain

1997, p 73)

The point of this argument is that the authorial voice assumes

dominance, authority and thereby legitimacy by virtue of the

disciplining of the writing process through utilization of and

adherence to the canon of academic writing. His solution to this is :

a radical decentring, a postmodernist displacement of the authority of

these [modernist] authors into a larger historical knowledge that does

not require the endless reprise of a slavery of readers subjected to a

mastery of 'individual' authors. (Prain 1997, p 74)

Another view on the place of the authorial voice in postmodernist

research or inquiry basically holds that there must be some means

whereby the author is present in the reporting process, but in such a

way as to permit an interrogation of the particular (the idiosyncratic)

location of her / his subjectivity within the setting under

investigation. From this point of view, "[a] problematic sense of self

or selves ...is textualised as part of the case for establishing the

researcher's provisional authority to contribute to this topic" (Prain,

1997, p 75). It is this approach to the location and presence of the

researchers that is adopted in this study.

The running sheets were developed by a research assistant by means of

a reductive / selective process of transcribing sections of the

interview that she felt to be relevant to the study. She excluded any

social conversation, initial "small talk" and what she perceived to be

irrelevancies.

The extended running sheets were then used as the basis for the next

stage of data analysis. This was undertaken by the author /

researchers using version 3.0 of the NUD¥IST qualitative data analysis

program (Marks and Marks, 19911) in conjunction with a modified form of

the constant comparative method ( Glaser and Strauss, 1967( ; Lincoln

and Guba, 1985( ). There were occasions where there was a need to fill

out or add to the detail provided by the extended running sheets, and

at those points the audiotape of the interview was referred to.

The interpretations and report of those were developed by one of the

research team and were then presented to the rest of the

university-based team for explanation, interrogation and discussion.

Alternative readings and interpretations were then constructed and a

mutually-acceptable final report compiled. The names of the school and

staff involved have been changed.

Research Questions

The project attempted to answer the following three questions:

1. What social vision directs professional practice at the Capper

School ?

A major assumption of the project team is that the teaching act

carries within itself a sense of moral purpose, and that that purpose

is one that is based upon a desire for change of some sort for the

better. The team needed to know what vision of the good underpinned

professional practice at the Capper School .

2. How do teachers respond to the expectations of that vision?

The essence of the project became an attempt to understand how

particular professional practices, strategies and / or structures might

effect teachers' commitment to the "official" school philosophy. The

team needed to come to know something of the ways in teachers at the

Capper School reacted and responded to the social vision.

3. How is the vision sustained in the context of external forces?

In a world of changing values bases, the attempt to strike an

oppositional pose in order to secure social betterment is likely to

bring with it a response from the outside world that is not often

positive or encouraging. It was important to come to understand how

teachers at the Capper School sustained their commitment to their

vision of the socially better world.

A further question arose as the research process entered the analysis

stage:

4. What is the relationship between the case researcher and the case ?

In particular, the research team came to be concerned to explore the

effects on the understandings and interpretations drawn from the

research process of their own subjectivities. Philosophical questions

again became the focus, but this time they were aimed at the work of

the researchers, and not at the case being researched. This question

will be addressed in a later report.

Before discussing the first three questions, it is necessary to attempt

to portray something of the context of the Capper School .

Background: The Capper School

History

The Capper School was founded in 1977 in Victoria and a second school

was opened in rural Queensland in 1981. The proclaimed philosophical

basis of the schools is "Total Education", a concept described in the

school's electronic prospectus as:

a concept...developed by educationalist and life-philosopher Vernon

Yeates..... Through many years of reflection and experience in guiding

and assisting individuals to develop a more positive lifestyle, Vernon

Yeates, better known to most people as Vern, has refined his vision of

a system of education and health based on the best traditions of

Eastern and Western philosophy and technology.

While the philosophical basis of the Capper School and of its founder's

vision is discussed in greater detail below, it is important at this

introductory point to come to appreciate something of the ideology that

underlies the Capper School community, for a true community it is.

The following extracts from various school-linked publications perhaps

serve this preliminary function:

From our observation of the history of nations we could conclude that

the greatest influence on how a nation develops, what it achieves and

gains, comes fundamentally from its cultural and spiritual background

and above all from its educational approaches... It is here one has to

look to the future, and recognize that the challenge is there, that the

future can be a brighter, can be a happier one. This should in some way

be enticing us to want to leave for future generations not buildings,

bridges and highways but a capacity to find greater peace, happiness

and refinement, so that they in turn can carry on this work for the

generations to come."

from Total Education: The Urgent Need

Every parent has the responsibility of developing in a child values,

principles of living and approaches that are beneficial, contributive

and purposeful to the development of the child. The child is expected

to grow with understanding, purposefulness and a quality that will

endear him to his fellow human beings. Over a period of time I have

thought, contemplated and come to the conclusion that the approach one

has to take in parenting is more a matter of looking at oneself,

improving oneself and becoming a better person who is more content,

more happy, more patient and more tolerant. Therefore one could say

that one of the ingredients that is vital for parenting is 'self

control', for both men and women. Because children are innocent in the

initial stages, they respond very well to patience, tolerance,

compassion and love-and any initiative that comes out of that is very

healthy.

from Parenting for Everyone:

Life is a process of education, a process of understanding and finding

a deeper meaning and greater purpose for our existence. One has to make

every attempt to broaden one's outlook, understanding the fundamental

issues, and seeking guidance on how to progress towards a healthier and

happier life. There is a great experience awaiting you which becomes

available when you find your own "uniqueness". Your uniqueness is that

pure quality exhibited by your true self. The solution to all your

problems ultimately resides in expressing this quality in your everyday

living. It is where you will find true growth. It is what will give you

real contentment of being and joy in your heart. Do not let anyone

break your resolve to grow and find yourself. And remember, your life

patterns change people around you; by changing yourself you change the

world.

from Overcoming Negative Feelings

The total education canon resides, as will be discussed later, largely

in the heads and hearts of those who adhere to its tenets and aspire to

its vision. There is, as in many intentional communities, however, a

body of literature that presents the vision and the prescription, All

of these are publications that Vern has authored and edited, and

include a number of books and journals. Many of these include

publications based on the seminars, symposia and international

congresses Vern has initiated in the areas of education and health.

The most accessible of these are the books: Total Education: The Urgent

Need; Is Your Sickness Real?; Mind-Made Disease; Future Education;

Love As A Way; Parenting For Everyone; What is Life?; Overcoming

Negative Feelings; and Beyond Sex, Drink and Drugs.

Structure

The Capper School is a self-described independent, non-systemic,

non-denominational school offering classes from kindergarten to year

12. The school motto is "In Pursuit of Knowledge, Excellence and

Service".

The school operates under the direction of a Governing Council, while

the leadership of the school on a day-to-day basis resides in with a

school-based team consisting of the Principal, the Deputy Principal,

the Primary Headmistress, and the Development Manager.

The curriculum of the school is formally approved by the Queensland

Department of Education and is accredited with the Board of Senior

Secondary School Studies.

The financial base of the school is an interesting one, consisting of a

combination of fees (currently $1 100 per annum per child) and on

funding flowing from a commercial arm established specifically to

support the activities of the school. This business support is derived

from a number of commercial enterprises (the Brumby's chain of

bakeries, for example, was one of these.) where the sole function is to

generate income for the school. The third prong of the school's

financial base is that of government grants available to non-State

schools generally.

The Capper School has a current student enrollment of approximately

130. The school is located on the outskirts of a rural town and is set

into a hillside amongst native forest. A medium-density housing

development abuts the school on two sides and this residential area is

home to 80% of staff of the school and 60% of the students. This

physical feature would seem to be one of the significant contributory

aspects in the development of a sense of community for the Foundation

and certainly presents as one area of major importance here.

In many ways, the school could be seen as providing a valuable - and

not frequently encountered - living example of what Giroux (1989) has

called transformative intellectual activity. It also appears to

contain, or to be driven by, what Kanter (1972) identified as the

essence of utopian desire:

Utopia, then represents an ideal of the good, to contrast with the

evils and ills of existing societies. The idea of utopia suggests a

refuge from the troubles of this world as well as a hope for a better

one. Utopian plans are partly an escape, as critics maintain, and

partly a new creation, partly a flight from and partly a seeking for;

they criticize, challenge and reject the established order, then depart

from it to seek the perfect human existence. (pp 1-2)

It may well be that a powerful way of interrogating the experience of

the Capper School is from this perspective of escape from and seeking

after: that is, that in the pursuit of a socially-better society, the

educational vision of the Capper School requires a process of

coccooning prior to a process of metamorphosis. Central organizing

concepts here become those of protection, nurturance, change and

connection. It is this perspective that will undergird this report on

emerging insights about the Capper School, for what is explicit

throughout the whole experience of the Capper School is the essential

belief in the power of education to lead rather than follow

socio-cultural development:

From our observation of the history of nations we could conclude that

the

greatest influence on how a nation develops, what it achieves and

gains, comes fundamentally from its cultural and spiritual background

and above all from its educational approaches.

from Total Education: The Urgent Need

A crucial question to address is whether the school is attempting to

create the type of individual necessary to bring a desirable and

envisioned/articulated form of community to fruition or is the school

attempting to contribute to the development of better - however that

may be defined - individuals with the expectation that these types of

people will, of necessity, create a different, better, community?

In some ways, this matter is expressed in the following quote from one

of Vern's recent books:

There is a great experience awaiting you which becomes available when

you find your own "uniqueness". Your uniqueness is that pure quality

exhibited by your true self. The solution to all your problems

ultimately resides in expressing this quality in your everyday living.

It is where you will find true growth. It is what will give you real

contentment of being and joy in your heart. Do not let anyone break

your resolve to grow and find yourself. And remember, your life

patterns change people around you; by changing yourself you change the

world."

from

Overcoming Negative Feelings

The Capper School sees itself as engaging a mission of social

betterment:

The Capper School then is working at building a new tradition of

education in Australia which builds on the best understanding of the

past. The key ingredients of this are a comprehensive educational

program with a particular emphasis on character development and optimal

communication and co-operation between the key stakeholders; students,

teachers and parents. The School is seeking to establish contact with

other schools that have similar aims and ideals. It is the school's

goal to form an international network of schools that are adopting

creative approaches to education. Such a network will allow positive

ideas and methodologies to be shared and made available to people

across cultural, religious, political and national divisions. Research

has commenced to identify school communities with which such a

relationship might be developed. This will be followed by a study tour

to make personal contact with participating schools.

The Future (from the electronic prospectus)

Vern sums up the purpose, the vision, of the school:

So we are here - in no way perfect and with much more to do to achieve

the result that we want. There is a crying need in the community for a

better class of citizen. The repercussions of now will be felt long

ahead. We must deposit a statement and practice that will be taken up

in perhaps 40 years time to radically upgrade education throughout. If

not, people will widely suffer anger, frustration, etc. and be unable

to achieve what they want. With the experience so far and what I can

see ahead, I can definitely say that this is the principle that is

going to work. It can definitely be said that we are trying to prepare

citizens of the world.

Vernon Yeates (from the electronic prospectus)

In other words, one of the uncertainties to be unraveled in this

project relates to the relationship between individual and society and

the role of educational and social vision in working through what

McLaren and Giroux have called a pedagogy of hope.

This view of pedagogy would see the essential function of schools and

those who find their professional and moral personae resident therein

as being to engage with students in critique of existing forms of

social organization for the purpose of developing strategies for

overcoming those facets of this social organization exposed as

alienating, oppressive, silencing and exclusionary. That is, from a

transformative intellectualism perspective, schools should be about

identifying and fracturing the socially-located strictures that

allocate privilege and disadvantage.

Our reading of the Capper School experience is that it presents as a

genuine attempt to create an orientation to life on the part of the

members of the school community - students, staff, parents and others

associated with the foundation - that foregrounds the power of the

efficacy of the individual in envisioning and creating alternative,

desirable futures. As such, we believe that both components of Giroux

and McLaren's pedagogy of hope are very much present in the focus of

the school.

There is much in this case study that would seem to fall easily into

the broad area of critical pedagogy: a concern to link the functions

of schooling into a broader concern for the achievement of a

socially-just society, a concern to get to the structural and

individual causes of an unacceptable and limiting social existence and

effect some repair or healing, and a belief in the power of the human

species to bring about such individual and social change.

A point of departure from the location of critical pedagogical activity

here, though, is the focus on the individual as the primary point of

concern. Where critical pedagogy would address the question of the

relationship between the individual and community from the perspective

of the construction of socially emancipatory communities, the Capper

School's vision would appear to be one of the development of

individuals who are both desirous and capable of standing firm in their

personal beliefs in the midst of an unjust social experience.

There is much in this study that provides scope for the exploration of

the nature of social justice and the ways in which schools, and all

those who inhabit them, function to perpetuate and ameliorate justice

and injustice. A basic question to be answered is what constitutes the

image of the just society? What is it that the Capper School vision

would see as the end - the telos - at which they are aiming?

A further area of possibility in this study derives from Kanter's work

on the notion of intentional communities. In the Capper School, we

have a example of such a community. The school -community divide is

much removed in this case, where, in many ways, it becomes difficult to

determine precisely what is the school. The dynamics of the

school-community interaction are complex, and beyond the scope of the

present study to explore and analyze, but, nevertheless, are crucial

facets of the study, and need to be taken into account in some form.

The role of vision and visionary leaders is perhaps the most important

aspect of this whole study. There is a clear instance of the power of

individual social vision and determination to effect change in the

creation of alternative futures, and, as such, is particularly relevant

to current education system moves to anchor individual school

development on localized social vision.

Related to this topic is the matter of the ways in which professional

development of teachers in a socially-aware school link the political

and the personal to form a pedagogy that is both personally satisfying

and congruent with the articulated vision of the school community. In

other words, how does the vision manage to be sustained and preserved

over time, and how do those charged with the primary task of breathing

life into that vision, maintain their commitment to and keep in step

with that vision ? One means of achieving this at the Capper School is

the profile group.

The project to date has been valuable in enabling some ideas about some

of the topics identified above to be developed and tentative

conclusions drawn. It is to some of these topics and threads that this

paper now turns.

Research question 1:

What social vision drives professional practice at the Capper School ?

Introduction: The nature of vision and the visionary leader

The literature base on the nature of vision and visionary leadership is

relatively recent and growing, and so for the purposes of this paper, a

simple definition of vision and model of visionary leadership will be

presented. Nanus (1992, p 86) defines vision as "a realistic,

credible, attractive future...[the] articulation of a destination

toward which your organization should aim, a future that in important

ways is better, more successful, or more desirable ...than is the

present." In this definition there is, by implication, a quest for

change in order to stimulate and secure betterment of some kind. It is

this quest that forms the driving force of the type to be found in the

Capper School.

Nanus identifies a number of features of vision that might provide a

structure for exploring the particular vision here. One of these

features is a necessary orientation to the future: "vision is where

tomorrow begins, for it expresses what you and others who share the

vision will be working hard to create" (Nanus, 1992, p 8). Polack

(19617) saw visionaries as in fact shaping the future in the present.

Using the examples of the likes of Plato, Marx and Jesus, Polack

explains this inordinate power visionaries are able to wield:

Themselves under the influence of that which they envisioned, they

transformed the nonexistent into the existent, and shattered the

reality of their own time with their imaginary images of the future.

Thus the open future already operates in the present, shaping itself in

advance through these image makers and their images - and they,

conversely, focus and enclose the future in advance, for good or for

ill (p. 124)

Another facet of vision, as Nanus sees it, is the potential for

marshaling and motivating fellow travelers to the cause of realizing

the vision: "the right vision is an idea so energizing that it in

effect jump-starts the future by calling forth the skills, talents and

resources to make it happen." (Nanus p 8). It would seem that the

Capper School provides a good example of this process in action, yet it

is unclear as to how the school copes with another of Nanus'

observations about vision, that of the on-going nature of vision

development:

Vision is a signpost pointing the way for all who need to understand

what the organization is and where it intends to go. Sooner or later,

the time will come when an organization needs redirection or perhaps a

complete transformation, and then the first step should always be a new

vision, a wake-up call to everyone involved with the organization that

fundamental change is needed and on the way. (p 9)

In Nanus' view, the effective visionary leader needs to assume a number

of essential roles. These are those of:

Direction Setter ("The leader selects and articulates the target in the

future external environment toward which the organization should direct

its energies" p 12);

Change Agent ("The leader is responsible for catalyzing changes in the

internal environment - for example, in personnel, resources, and

facilities - to make the vision achievable in the future" p 13);

Spokesperson ("The leader...is the chief advocate and negotiator for

the organization and its vision with outside constituencies" p 14); and

Coach ("The leader is a team builder who empowers individuals in the

organization and passionately 'lives the vision', thereby serving as a

mentor and example for those whose efforts are necessary to make the

vision become reality" p 14.)

In the case of the Capper School, it would seem that the leadership

role assumed by Vernon Yeates contains all of these aspects.

To complete this brief exploration of views of the nature of vision and

visionary leadership, it is important to mention the power of vision.

Again, Nanus' analysis provides some interesting ideas for

contextualising the Capper School experience. In his view, selecting

and articulating what he calls "the right vision" is a difficult task,

but once achieved, a powerful "unleashing" of forces occurs:

The right vision attracts commitment and energizes people:....People

are willing, even eager, to commit voluntarily and completely to

something truly worthwhile, something that will make life better for

others, or that represents a significant improvement for their

community or country (p 16)

The right vision creates meaning in workers' lives: People need to

find meaning in their work, especially in a world where traditional

sources of meaning - family, church, community - have been losing their

ability to supply a sense of purpose for many people's lives. (p 17)

The right vision establishes a standard of excellence: [The vision]

provides the measure by which [members of the organization] can

evaluate their worth to the organization and by which outsiders can

measure the organization's worth to the larger community (p 17)

The right vision bridges the present and the future: The right vision

transcends the status quo. It provides the all important link between

what is now taking place and what the organization aspires to build in

the future. (p 18)

It is arguable that the potency of the vision directing activity at the

Capper School resides in this combination of forces. What is that

vision?

Philosophical base: A Social Rescue Mission

Something is not right in our super-slick society, and this something

has a lot to do with misplaced values (Future Education p10)

The philosophical base of the Capper School might well be seen as

deriving from a premodernist conception of the nature of the human

species and its relationship to the world. From the material available

to the research team, it would appear that the school itself exists

primarily as an inspirational model for like-minded citizens who fear

the downward slide of the species. That the function of the Capper

School is to resist dominant social trends is the explicit message

contained in many of Vern's philosophical texts. For instance, the

following extract from Future Education clearly established the link

between recent (post-World War II) educational practices and social

pathology:

When we review the current educational processes that have been

established over generations, it is not difficult to see the erosion of

basic personal and social values, of care and even of personal growth.

The externalization of man [has occurred] and [has created] the malady

of an internal vacuum, leaving him with uncertainties at all levels.

[Educational authorities] obviously did not realize that it would

distract his mind from his religious and spiritual basis, and instead

fill his mind with pseudo-intellectualism, greed, selfishness and

uncontrolled ambition They also failed to foresee and correlate that

this mental distraction would establish in man the supremacy of his ego

and make him subservient to it, thus forsaking and abandoning his

spiritual need and the development of ethical values (p3)

Vern's vision is for a better society, although it is difficult to

distill any clear picture of what that society might look like.

Illustrative of his social visionary statements is the following:

I have been one for human happiness and World Peace, not that it has

become a pet song and dance or that I would like to get up on my soap

box, but I believe each person has a God-given right to improve himself

and share, participate and partake in human progress and evolution. To

me, teachers and parents are fundamental to this progress in creating a

better society.

Time and again I can only appeal to the human conscience to remove much

of the suffering and sadness into which the world is plunged and to

look beyond it for happier days, where goodness can surround us. where

every citizen of the world is free and war, greed and suffering do not

dominate human existence, but where there is love flowing freely,

surrounding and engulfing us. (Future Education , p. 56)

The concern, philosophically, and, one might imply, socially, is that

the pursuit of self-indulgence has and will continue to lead to the

loss of sense of community and concern for the true common wealth that

are seen as having been hallmarks of previous eras of social

organization.

...the insecurity and uncertainty [of WW2] heralded a new era of an

expedient, "live for the now" philosophy. People let down their guards,

accepted a more permissive attitude to their own sexuality and living,

and sowed the seeds of moral degeneration that is so apparent today and

haunting us. [From the 1940's onward] the expectancies on children were

that they strive for success, power, and money at the cost of their

development As the human being manifested these qualities, greed,

selfishness and self-indulgence became a part of his or her thinking

(Future Education pp 7-8)

The problem, as Vern sees it, is that the replacement of universal

values by those of the individual has proceeded as a result of the

demands of the increasing materialization of the human experience such

that the individual now seeks reference for his or her activity from

the environment within which she or he exists rather than from the

inner guidance of the Spirit or the Creator. This, it would seem, is

what Vern means when he refers on a number of occasions to the problem

of the externalization of the human being:

The externalization of man [has occurred] and [has created] the malady

of an internal vacuum, leaving him with uncertainties at all levels

(Future Education p5)

Due to the externalization of men and women, individuals were seeking

thrills and self-gratification (9)

The human being is seen as having an innate destiny that must be

uncovered and promoted for genuine happiness and contentment to follow:

Life is a process of experiencing and learning. We each have a

ready-made subconscious programming which virtually dictates what we

must go through in order to learn ad, eventually, to know God.

According too this programming the subconscious throws up a series of

thoughts, fears, desires and feelings all aimed at leading us to find

God. In other words, built into each of us is an educational program

that we must follow. (Future Education p. 34)

By the unfolding of this subconscious programming, the individual comes

to truly know - to have and understand a "deep-seated and natural

morality" (Future Education p. 36) This, then, allows the individual

to "know what he wants - to understand the spiritual reality, the

reality of the Self" (Future Education p. 38).

This progress to self-knowledge requires the development of a

particular set of qualities: aim, concentration and will; awareness and

conviction; discipline and detachment. These are not necessarily easy

qualities to develop, and their emergence and refinement is dependent

upon one essential ingredient: faith:

...we will never take any of these steps [ to self-knowledge] without

faith. We must have faith that there is a self, that we will benefit

by seeking it, and that if we are told that discipline is needed, then

it is so. (Future Education , p. 41)

The progression to self-knowledge will be directed by the creative

spirit ("Objectives will become God-given, not egocentric goals...You

will come to understand and live by the principle of ,'Thy Will be

done, not mine' " (Future Education , p.43) )

World War II is a significant temporal marker - a watershed almost -

insofar as it from this time that Vern traces the development of a

number of influences that, in coinciding, have led to the state of

moral and social decay he decries as the hallmark of contemporary

society. ("Since the Second World War, continuing changes have been

occurring in the circumstances surrounding our lives, within our

environment, our relationships with fellow human beings and in our

social structures" Future Education p 5)

A number of features are identified as important here. First, the

uncertainties and insecurities of World War II:

"heralded a new era of an expedient, 'live for the now' philosophy.

People let down their guards, accepted a more permissive attitude to

their own sexuality and living, and sowed the seeds of moral

degeneration that is so apparent today and haunting us" (Future

Education p7).

This attitude has led to "children born in this period progressively

[removing] the limits of sexual expression, giving them a feeling of

freedom - more as an escape from the life-threatening feelings

experienced by their parents and themselves" (Future Education, pp 7-8)

Another feature of this period of time is increasing technological

sophistication. While there were and are obvious benefits to be

derived from this development, there was also a serious downside:

The expectancies on children were that they strive for success, power,

and money at the cost of their development. As the human being

manifested these qualities, greed, selfishness and self-indulgence

became a part of his or her thinking. This released the factors of an

undisciplined lifestyle, culminating in the permissive lifestyle of the

60s and 70s. One can correlate much of this with the media at the

time, which promoted this freedom of expression and sensuality, for the

sake of ratings and circulation, giving great coverage to it all.

(Future Education, p 8)

The outcome of this included the growth of divorce ("people were

unwilling to sacrifice, or suffer each other, and meet other people's

needs. Future Education p 8); loss of tolerance ("at a low ebb"); a

heightening of resentment;; an encouragement of sexually-unacceptable

behavior ("men and women, young and old, living together in sexually

orientated relationships" "encouragement of homosexual behavior" Future

Education p 9); and the consequent loss of attractiveness of

religious thinking and teaching, particularly that which "emphasized

restraint, self-discipline and morality" (Future Education p 9).

Educationally, the result of the ascendancy of this values set has been

to raise to prominence the value of winning. Competition is seen as the

means whereby the individual seeks to ensure his or her own success in

meeting idiosyncratic needs and wants. The school has, in many ways,

become the embodiment of the competitive ethic in society, and this has

resulted in dire consequences, for both the individual and for the

community:

The system of education today is still based upon the premises and

assumptions born out of the industrial and post-industrial eras - eras

that saw wars and demands on educational practices to provide

technology to win the wars, to provide mundane prosperity ad build up

material wealth. (Future Education p.4)

We find that the education system on which we have depended for growth

has in fact produced a more competitive, industrialized,

technologically advanced and academically proficient child; a man full

of facts and figures, but one unable to handle and adapt to change and

the demands of such change.( Future Education p5)

It should not be important as a philosophy that I win, but it should be

important that I help others to share my winning. To think that the

first bloom to open on the tree is the best bloom is inaccurate. [The]

psychology "No prizes for losers" is a pathetic one and should be

condemned.

The urgency of the need to repair the damage by fifty years of moral

degeneration is amplified by the linking of social destruction with

that of general environmental decay:

Shying away from the conventional, this reaction [ to a sense of

universal Good] sees its extreme form in punk psychology - nothing is

right, there can be no goodness - in fact nihilism became its essence.

A by-product of the preoccupation with production rather than with

people is the environmental pollution and the danger it poses to human

existence. (Future Education p 11)

It is here that it is perhaps easiest to identify links between the

philosophical base of the Capper School and pre-modernist values: "The

old rule 'survival of the fittest' seems to again come to the

forefront. If fear, which seems to be the cause of many maladies, is

to be overcome then self-control and the practice of fundamental values

become important "(Future Education p 6)

The question becomes one of drawing out what, precisely, those

fundamental values might be. This is not a necessarily easy task.

There is a concern for the development of three qualities of self:

self-esteem, self-control and self-discipline. The purpose of the

development of these qualities is to provide the basis for the

realization of "the value of ethical standards and to apply them as a

matter of course" (Future Education p 9)

A view of the ideal society, as a means of attempting to uncover the

fundamental values base here, similarly gives little comfort: there

are descriptions of what is wrong, but little real explication of the

values set that would rectify the situation. For instance:

A period like the Victorian era in which stringent moral rules

generally applied is useful insofar as it points the way, and

encourages adherence to proven behavioral norms. But it is not enough

to merely comply with society's expectations. Conformity has meaning

only if it is motivated by understanding. (Future Education p.9)

We have little to replace the rigid standards of our grandfathers, and

so become vulnerable to whatever is the "latest" fad in so-called

lifestyles. The truth is, of course, that sociology only serves to

re-invent the wheel, and in so doing manages to confuse and exhaust a

generation locked into the notion of "progress".

Genuine progress, I would suggest, lies in that much abused phrase

"quality of life" and not quantity of competition, as is being

advocated today. What use is it for a man to walk on the moon, when a

woman cannot stroll safely down the streets of Brisbane, Melbourne or

New York. Something is not right in our super-slick society, and this

something has a lot to do with misplaced values (Future Education p.

10)

As the restraints [of religion] fell away, the young ones' psychology

reflected a more animal behavior which was aggressive, exploitive and

mercenary.

In Vern's view, while there has been sufficient description and

analysis of social crises or problems, little has been done by way of

proclaiming the causal links between a re-focusing on the material

dimension of individual development and existence and the consequent

loss of meaning and acceptance of inner guidance according to universal

values. As he puts it, "[n]o one yet is willing to admit to this

amoral attitude and relate it to our present predicament"(Future

Education p.7.). He is prepared to make that pronouncement and to then

clear a path out of the crisis initially for those who wish to follow,

but, ultimately, for the society as a whole.

The philosophy of the Capper School would seem to be based on populist

notions of there being something wrong with the way we live our lives,

coupled with a general call to halt moral decay in order to return the

society to a state of being that has previously existed but which is

currently lost. The role of the Capper School is to begin the process,

which will be a long-term one, of social rehabilitation - "the Schools

of Total Education are going to be pioneers in an education for the

future. They are perfecting a technique which can mature in twenty

years" (Future Education , p 52)

In summation, it would seem that the philosophical base of the Capper

School, deriving directly from the ideas and ideals of Vern, might be

characterized as being rooted in Enlightenment notions of the

perfectibility of the human being, but with more than a nod in the

direction of pre-modernist notions of pre-ordained destiny and

universal values.

Research question 2:

How do teachers respond to the expectations of that vision?

That the philosophical base of the Capper School is a strong one is not

to be doubted. Of all the participants in this study, none raised any

questions of uncertainty, disbelief or deviation from the basic tenets

of the official social vision underpinning the school's program, and

only one participant indicated any sense of philosophical ease in a

school system other than the Capper School.:

Philosophically, I rather be in the State system - I'd like all kids to

get the best chances, but I'm here by chance and it's easy to work

here. Having freedom (as here ) is great. (site visit notes 13/6/96,

text unit 85 )

In some contexts, such an almost seamless narrative of adherence might

well raise questions of unthinking acceptance on the part of the

participants and of manipulation on the part of the originator of that

vision. That question might (and should) be asked in this case,

however, it would seem from the interview process that the participants

do not fall into the category of unthinking acceptance.

There is sufficient evidence to believe that the participants have come

to the vision as it has been offered by Vern as highly reflective

individuals who have found something in that vision for themselves.

The Capper School situation would seem to be one where an open

expression of what the philosophical expectations are is presented, and

members of the community - whether staff, parents, students or

supporters - embrace that philosophy and enter the community or they

look elsewhere. This would, in the first instance, suggest the power

of both the vision and of Vern as paramount intellectual leader of the

community. It should also suggest that a strong socialization process

must be in place to maintain the strength of the vision and to secure

the commitment of community members to that vision. Aspects of this

socialization process are described and explored in the presentation of

research question three. It is important here to come to understand

something of the commitment of the participants in this study to the

vision.

There are a number of common points and experiences of the participants

that throw light onto the matching of individual with the Capper

School. One of these points of commonality is the initial contact with

Vern and the supporting foundation. Participants in this study came to

know of Vern's intention to set up alternatives to current schooling

prior to visiting the school (some participants were involved with Vern

before a school as such existed).

A number of the participants came to know of the work and thoughts of

Vern through attending yoga classes conducted by the supporting

foundation in Melbourne. Vern himself is the son of a traditional

Bombay yoga practitioner and in creating a new philosophy incorporated

classical yoga. (site visit notes 13/6/96, text unit 6). The emphasis

on turning inwards and reflecting on ones own self as a means of

effecting significant personal change that is the purpose of genuinely

studying yoga is clearly a part of the philosophy of the Capper School.

Other participants had experience with other school systems - usually

State schools - prior to contact with the supporting foundation and

came to see a better way to educate children through the vision of

education contained within the philosophy of total education. In

conjunction with the formal yoga classes, a group interested in

discussing matters relating to teaching also met at the St. Kilda

premises of the then Helen Vale foundation, a precursor to the

supporting foundation. It is through contact and involvement with this

group that other participants came to be exposed to, familiar with and

adherents to the philosophy enunciated by Vern.

Approximately 80 % of teachers at the Capper School live in the

supporting foundation community, and this close integration of

professional and personal personae would seem to make for a doubly

reinforced attachment to the community and its values. This factor is

of significance in light of the fact that "[v]ery few teachers burn out

- less than parents or families "( Mark, Group interview 10/10/96, text

unit 266). The essentially voluntary nature of this connection was

underscored by comments such as "[i]t's their [the teachers'] decision

to be here for the future (Mark, Group interview 10/10/96, text unit

268).

There would seem to be a strongly perceived connection between

individual teacher's and school values or worldviews ("Teachers are

more associated with the school's views than parents" Mark, Group

interview 10/10/96, text unit 267), and the research process here

identified nothing to contradict this assumption of philosophical

congruence. In other words, the professional community is comprised of

a group of volunteers who share and accept a common view of the nature

of the world and the individual's place and responsibility within it.

Teachers at the Capper School respond to the demands of the vision in

two distinct but related spheres of their lives the personal and the

professional, and that response would seem to be unanimously positive.

In the personal sphere, the participants in this study expressed

repeatedly that the education process on-going at the Capper School was

at least as much one of their own personal development as it was of the

children enrolled there. George, for example, saw the obvious necessity

for the teacher to consider the fact that he (always referred to

teachers in masculine terms) will need to change, that the teacher

should consider himself as being on a journey of self-discovery and

development and that tension in the classroom between teacher and

student might be more readily dealt with by the teacher changing his

behavior than by "disciplining" the child and having her/him modify

behavior (Interview notes, George, 18/7/96, text unit 20). Lisa felt

that only "out of practicing those values" [that are inherent in the

school's philosophy] in a disciplined way can one "come to freedom"

(Interview, Lisa, 20/6/96, text units 97-98).

The commonality of the personal growth experience at the Capper School

was such that a clear uniformity of both view of and response to school

and world events pertained ("Not much clashing of roles or views within

the Capper School" (Marion, site visit notes, 13/6/96, text units 92).

While there one expression of a sense of undesirability in this

uniformity ("We need to create our own system of people having their

own views.", Marion, site visit notes, 13/6/96, text units 93), this

state of affairs seems to fit well with the large majority of the

participants. The point is to create and maintain a community of

enlightened professionals: "Vern operates very much on dialogue, people

acquire his philosophy, we hope a 'living tradition' is being

created.(Mark, site visit notes, 13/6/96, text unit 97).

In summary, teachers respond very favorably to the vision and its

implications for them. Teachers at the Capper School seem to be drawn

to the philosophy, undertake experiences at and with the supporting

foundation and enter into a period of post-graduate teacher preparation

prior to being offered a teaching position at the school. This period

of preparation would seem to place considerable emphasis on the

individual coming to measure him or herself against the dictates and

requirements of living and practising the philosophy, and engaging in

introspective reflection to continuously re-create the nature of the

individual in the image of the vision. Those who accept and work

within the vision and its limits are seemingly rewarded - in a personal

satisfaction sense - by finding a way of living that is at one and the

same time quiet and reflective as well as energizing and determined.

Research question 3:

How is the vision sustained in the context of external forces ?

Maintenance of belief in and acceptance of a common vision is an

essential activity in binding a community together. At the Capper

School, it would seem that highly effective systems of

belief-maintenance are in place. One of these is the profile group.

The profile group is a formally constituted group of teachers that

meets on a regular basis - usually weekly - for the purposes of

collaborative professional reflection and discussion. These groups

operate to provide something of a critical friendship circle for the

reflections and investigations staff at the school see as an essential

part of their practice, and would seem to serve a vital role in

maintaining the strength of the commitment of the staff to the vision

that drives the Capper School.

Profile groups: structure and purpose

Comprised of 4 or 5 teachers each, the profile groups are an

exclusively professional gathering ("The [school] community is not

included, these groups are for teachers", interview, George, text unit

103), seemingly one of the few areas of the professional life of the

teachers at the Capper School from which community involvement is

barred. Every teacher in the school is a member of a profile group,

with a mixture of primary and secondary teachers in each. This mixing

of the staff in this way provides for a removal of focus from the

narrowness that might well attach to sectionally-based groupings and

its reorientation to the generalities of teaching: to the philosophical

dimension of the professional craft.

All participants agreed that the purpose of the profile groups was to

"improve ourselves as people and teachers"(interview, George, text unit

88): the focus is "more on us - and our professional life" (interview,

Lisa, text unit 87); "I'm trying to re-educate myself, that's what

these meetings [of the profile group] do for me" (interview, Don, text

units 106-107).

Before investigating the philosophical anchoring function of the

profile group, it is important to acknowledge that other functions or

purposes for these groups were proffered by the participants. These

included mutual support ("The purpose of the group is to support each

other" interview, Lisa, text unit 75); to facilitate professional

networking ("easier to network with primary and secondary [teachers]

together and [is] structured so networking is not so hit and miss"

interview, Lisa, text unit 77); self assessment ("self assessment

through profile groups" Mark, group interview, text unit 257);

induction of new staff ("I could benefit from any other teacher's

perspective" interview, Don, text unit 86; "with the profile group...I

reinforce the relationships between myself and other teachers, "

interview, Don, text unit 103); and sharing information about students

at the school ("knocking around ideas to other teachers, pick up

something or discuss about the children", interview, Ian, text unit

117).

Profile group: history

There was not a clear answer to the questions of when the profile group

concept was introduced to the Capper School, or by whom. The frequency

and number of meetings is a striking feature of professional life at

the Capper School:

We used to have weekly meetings - actually we used to have fifteen

meetings a week. We were talking about children, but our own needs

weren't being met: our reactions, how we handle children, our reactions

to new situations, us as people. (Interview, Don, text units 77-79)

It used to be very ordered ten years ago. Now we have meetings when

needed and a balance of organized, regular meetings. (Interview, Ian,

text units 124-125)

Some participants saw the profile group growing out of this more

formalized meeting structure from some years previously:

We have had them [profile groups] for a couple of years. They started

in response to wanting to get together to talk about students. Then

the focus was more on socially. This year Mark organized groups out of

action research. Time for a change. (Interview, Ian, text units

112-116).

The profile group has changed in a number of ways, as alluded to in the

preceding paragraph. "Last year it was more informal...Previously it

was people with similar interests" (interview, George, text units 76 &

81). Now, it seems, the focus of the profile group is on action

research and its potential to assist in the improvement of professional

practice: "The profile groups were changed at the beginning of the

year. Came up as a part of Mark wanting to bring in action research"

(interview, Lisa, text units 82-83).

The principal of the school attributes the origination of the profile

group concept to Vern (observation notes, the Capper School visit

13/6/96, text unit 116), although there was another view as that the

groups were initiated by the deputy-principal "a couple of years ago"

(Capper School visit, 13/6/96 notes, text unit 68).

I felt there was a need to discuss individual children.. opportunities

for teachers

to share in small enough groups to feel comfortable (Capper School

visit, 13/6/96 notes, text unit 69.)

Profile group: Members

For the purposes of this study, one profile group was observed in

detail and its members interviewed. The participants were:

Ian: a music teacher who has had a slightly different history of

involvement with Vern than other members of staff. His own education

was Catholic Jesuit, which he remembers with a mixture of fondness and

horror. He entered a teacher education program and specialized in

music.

I was attracted to the philosophy [ of Total Education] when I was a

trainee teacher in Melbourne. I did some teacher training programs

[with the Capper School] as well. Towards the end of Uni I had a chance

to visit Dr Susuki, a violinist and music teacher, and went to Japan.

I came back and finished off the degree. Vern and Susuki write to each

other. (Interview, Ian, text units 6-11)

As well as this connection, Ian already had a personal acquaintance

with Vern who had helped him work through some personal uncertainties:

Vern knew my father and brother . He was a family connection about age

19-20. I had a confused state of mind. He then talked to me about the

school and the state of education. (Interview, Ian, text units 12-15)

Consequently, Ian's connection with the Capper School was more direct

than many others:

I am one of the few teachers who didn't go to another school. I got my

Dip.Ed and then came straight here [to the Capper School] (interview,

Ian, text units 43-44).

He taught at the Melbourne school for seven years, and moved to the

current school in 1987.

George: George is a maths and science teacher who came to teaching

after having studied pure science:

I did a Science Honors degree in Maths and physics and I went on to do

PhD. I became interested in teaching after tutoring at the physics

department and I decided to do a Dip.Ed. I wanted to do something to

help people and thought of teaching because I had a skill (interview,

George, text units 14-17).

His experience with the Capper School commenced a short time after

graduating:

I've been teaching since 1978. First at Brunswick Heads High School

for about a year and then into the Capper School. I moved up here

while the Melbourne school was still going. It had been at St. Kilda

and then moved to Mt Eliza (interview, George, text units 8-11).

Lisa: Lisa is currently a home group teacher for year ten and has been

involved with the Capper School since 1982. She teaches year 10

English, and some year 10 German students Lisa's involvement started at

the sister school in Melbourne, and when it closed and she wanted her

daughter to come to the school so she moved up to the current location.

Similarly to most Capper School staff, she had initial teaching

experience in the State system, but "didn't feel I was making much of

an impact" (interview, Lisa, text unit 18). She came to know Vern

through connections through yoga classes and was introduced to "a group

of organized people making education better" (interview, Lisa, text

unit 21) and became involved in holiday programs run by the school in

Melbourne while undergoing early teacher preparation.

Don: As the most recent appointment to the staff at the Capper School,

Don currently is responsible for 13 year six students. He became

involved in the foundation in 1980 "after a dissipated career and life"

(interview, Don, text unit 6). After completing a Bachelor of Art and

a Diploma of Education in Melbourne, Don became involved in the

activities of the foundation, but felt "tentative" about teaching

(interview, Don, text unit 10). He was "attracted to the community and

Vern as a person with qualities about him that made him stand out as

knowing things about life"(interview, Don, text unit 7) and "got an

offer from Vern and came to work at the Dome Deli [one of the

businesses supporting the Capper School )" (interview, Don, text unit

11). He spent a short time at the current site before returning to

Melbourne for family reasons. He returned four years ago to teach at

the school.

Sharon: Sharon teaches in the early childhood area of the Capper

School, but chose not to be interviewed for this project.

Profile group: interaction

The profile group meets each week after school in a social environment,

typically at a local coffee shop or in one of the rooms at the school.

If the latter, afternoon tea of some sort is available.

An observer's view of the meeting

The meeting took place at a local coffee shop some distance from the

school. Some of the staff traveled to the site in the school's

mini-bus. The feel of the meeting was one of relaxed camaraderie, with

the meeting beginning with the type of social and personal conversation

one might expect of any group of teachers after a day in the classroom.

While there was no formal leader or co-ordinator of the group, it was

apparent that Ian holds a position of de facto "manager". He commenced

the discussion of the topic for the week, which has been agreed upon at

the previous meeting by calling on Don to start the discussion and

directed the flow of conversation when necessary.

I asked the group what they preferred regarding my presence and

location. They insisted that I should sit at the tables with them

rather than sit removed and take notes.

Sharon was noticeably dominant in much of the early part of the

session. There were lengthy periods of silence and ceiling-gazing

during the hour-long meeting. I felt these were uncomfortable

silences, as if everyone had run out of things to say and were looking

for inspiration or at least, ideas, to lead into a new topic. I asked

if my presence was perhaps inhibiting conversation to be assured that

it wasn't. Lisa pointed out to me that silence was often productive,

and shouldn't be necessarily negatively construed. I engaged in the

discussion throughout the session, much of which revolved around a

question of Don's regarding difficulties he was having in determining

how he should balance his approach / methods between "relevance" (that

is, what his students see as exciting, interesting, etc) and what he

believed they needed to know, do, or experience.

The discussion evolved into the importance of character-building (the

effects of an outward bound course that students at the school had

recently taken as a culmination of several years of camping-type

retreats with peers is illustrative here). George - who arrived late

to session because of some work he was completing with some students -

hardly spoke at all. Everyone else participated at about the same

level and with similar frequency. The session ended when Ian suggested

it should, after about an hour of discussion.

The role of the philosophical base of the school was clearly evident

here: questions of professional and / or personal practice were

resolved by reference to, or, at least, measured against the vision and

teachings of Vern. There was little actual disagreement on points

raised or ideas contributed, rather it appeared that the function of

the group was one akin to that of the activity of a group of lawyers,

using their collective memory and knowledge of a body of legal

principles, precedent and procedures to arrive at an answer to a

question that would fit congruently within the framework of that canon.

In this instance, the group seemed to function as a collective entity,

drawing upon the canon of philosophy, values and practice that

constitutes the Capper School in order to measure individual practices

in search of ways and means to improvement.

The power of this process was such that, in the absence of any

differing views about the topics discussed, the end result, to an

outsider, seemed to be one of reaffirmation of the correctness of the

vision, and a re-anchoring of each teacher in the bed of that vision.

In some ways, perhaps the effect is comparable to study cell meetings

held to study the thought, of an ideologue or a political leader, where

the intention is to come to know better that thought and to map out

ways in which one might better come to put that thought into practice

rather than any attempt to critique or question the vision. Certainly,

there was no evidence of any criticism or discomfort with the

philosophical premises upon which these teachers were basing their

personal development or professional practice.

Participants' views of profile group meetings:

For the participants, the profile group offers considerable benefits -

no-one mentioned any negative perspective of membership. They see the

group as a meeting of absolute equals:

"We are all equals; we start with a topic that emerges today" (Sharon,

site visit notes, 13/6/96, text unit 128)

"There is no pressure. There is no formal chair. There is no 'us' and

'them' here" (interview, George, text units 86-87; 107)

"There is no pretension there at all. Some people, because they

identify themselves as [a particular] role can't see themselves as a

human being, only as a teacher, administrator, etc. Because we trust

and know each other so well, we can say our problems, let each other

come and observe and critique each other. (Interview, Lisa, text units

90-92)

The profile group might be seen as mirroring the approach to education

generally in the school: it [the profile group] provides a secure and

protected environment within which one can come to know oneself through

a mixture of self-analysis and group critique. The benefits are

significant, but there is a cost:

"You have to be prepared to expose your weaknesses to the group"

(interview, George, text unit 79)

"The profile group focuses on ourselves - many people put up barriers

when in a group, they are not used to revealing themselves. We are not

putting up screens." (Interview, Lisa, text unit 89)

"We take responsibility for our own feelings. We see each other as we

are and work with it, but volunteering an inadequacy or failing is not

an easy thing to do because we are supposed to be perfect teachers."

(Interview, Don, text units 91-93)

" Emotional detachment is difficult but good." (Interview, Ian, text

unit 121)

The purpose of the group is to, quite clearly, provide a means whereby

the members can measure their personal / professional lives against a

model of perfection provided by the philosophy of Vern. For example,

[The purpose of the group] is an intention to improve ourselves as

people and teachers (interview, George, text unit 88); to talk about

personal development (interview George, text unit 91)

With the profile groups, throughout discussions I reinforce the

relationships between myself and other teachers and in terms of

understanding of school philosophy. (Interview, Don, text unit 103);

I'm trying to re-educate myself. That's what these meetings do for me.

(Interview, Don, text units 106-107)

Several participants made mention of the shared nature of the values

and the philosophy that held both the school ad the profile group

together. It would seem that the power of the profile group to maintain

a commitment to that shared vision is extremely strong, since there was

only one mention of dissent from that core position:

Any undermining that happens is only temporary. People have

responsibility for their own actions. Maybe they will say 'hey, there

is no diversity of views here - I'm leaving' (interview, Don, text

units 97-98).

This feature of personal / professional life at the Capper School is

particularly important:

The vision statement is used as a criterion. Teachers are trained in

[the school's] philosophy and are expected to look at themselves in

this light. (Site visit 13/6/96 notes, Mark, text unit 33).

There is a very real sense of appreciation of the contribution Vern has

made to education - every participant credited him with having

developed a view of education and life that they have come to see as

their own - yet at the same time, there is a recognition of the fact

that he is but one person with a certain view of things. The role of

importance for the participants in this project was to be able to carry

on the work commenced by Vern:

Enough people have made it [Vern's philosophy and vision] their vision

- not just one person to carry on. To sustain it, you can't rely on

one person to keep it going. (Group interview, Mark, text units

297-298)

Every school has one or two good teachers in them but at this school

there are many teachers who think the same way and support the

philosophy. (Interview, George, text unit 33)

The profile group: study cell or professional development vehicle?

One participant identified what is probably the crucial role of the

profile group. In discussing the relationship between the individual

teacher and the official philosophy, she pointed out that :

[It's] not the integrity [ of the philosophy] but on the interpretation

of it that people disagree, where you are flexible or not flexible.

(Interview, Lisa, text unit 72)

Implicit here is the idea that the profile group is structured and

operated in such a way as to provide a supportive environment wherein

the philosophy of the school can become truly the philosophy of the

teachers. This group is paralleled by parent discussion groups which,

while outside the scope of the current study, would seem to perform the

same function for the parent body, viz. To present opportunities for

the individual to measure her or his personal life against the standard

of the philosophy that directs life at the Capper School.

The question for this study then becomes one of whether the profile

group is a means of sustaining the community through what Kanter (1972,

p 154)8 calls value determinism:

Communal systems...are supported by...value determinism, characterised

by elaborate ideologies, detailed specification of rules and

procedures, and the basing of decisions on values and ideals

or a very effective example of professional development through

reflective inquiry. In other words, should the profile group be seen

as a study cell, focusing on a given weltanschauung with a view to

maintaining the strength of the vision, or is it a means whereby

teachers are able to engage their deepest professional crises in an

environment of genuine camaraderie, with a values base as a starting

point and guide to practice?

It would seem that both readings are possible from the data and

evidence gathered in the course of this study. A cynical reading of

the evidence would lead one to a view of manipulation and charade. A

sympathetic reading would lead one to a see the profile group as a

potent form of professional reflection / practice whose function is to

advance the cause of genuine education.

Regardless of the view taken, the evidence must also be read to show

that the effectiveness of the profile group is unquestioned. There are

no dissenting voices as to its importance and value in the personal /

professional lives of the participants and those involved in the school

generally. There as no indication of anything other than a serious

commitment on the part of those involved in the profile group to dig

into their individual and collective psyches to uncover the essence of

what it means to teach. There can be no questioning of the belief of

those involved in this project in the efficacy of the philosophy and

approach of the Capper School.

Implications:

The implications of this study, from a social justice perspective, are

several. Perhaps the most significant is the light that can be shed on

the relationship between visions of social betterment and the

pedagogical processes that might contribute to securing those visions

in practice. It was not within the scope of this study to illuminate

the processes whereby the particular vision or philosophy of the Capper

School was generated or the means of recruiting teachers who either

shared that vision from the outset or who were amenable to persuasion

to the worth of it. What this study has been able to do is portray

some of the techniques - primarily that of the use of the profile group

- whereby the pedagogical implications of a particular view of the

socially just society are able to be fleshed out by the teachers (and,

by implication, others involved in the provision of educational

services) involved.

The study has also been able to show the power and effects of

developing among staff a shared vision - something that is currently

high on the list of educational managers. It is quite apparent from

the evidence collected that staff morale and sense of genuine community

is extremely high at the Capper School. The importance of this for

schools generally resides in the sense of personal efficacy and

strength of commitment to the goals and aims of the organization that

are born of accepting (if not actually engaged in constructing) a

vision and working through the practical implications of it for

professional practice in an extremely supportive environment. There

are undoubtedly lessons to be learned here with regard to authentic

personal / professional development in schools.

This study, as is usually the case, probably identifies more questions

and uncertainties than it provides insight into. The Capper School, as

an intentional community based upon an explicit values base, with a

staff committed to the vision of social betterment contained in the

founder's philosophy, and with an innovative funding arrangement

designed to remove questions of economics from the provision of quality

- better - education presents as an extremely important contemporary

example of the power of a dream in motivating transformational

educational practice. As such, it deserves far greater study and

presentation to the broader professional community.

Appendix 1

Expanded running sheet of audiotaped interview: an example

* Frank: Why This town?

*Ian:

I don't know why This town was chosen

Maybe away from the distractions of the big city especially for the

secondary students

I leave home at 7.30 I get home at 6.00 at night

I don't have any contact with This town - only through my son and wife

It's a good place and I've enjoyed the little contact that I've had

Might be a problem for people in town having a new school

Some people don't agree with some philosophies, ie the competition

rules, and that's quite valid, but some people don't know about the

school at all and still talk about it

My own education was Catholic Jesuit

My own family background had a major impact

I can glean a lot of good things

There was an aim, a process to go through

On one hand the school can have a prospectus/philosophy but the

educator that stands in front of you is the real value of a school

I had some shocking teachers, strange people

Also had great teachers, kind, you knew they valued you, they didn't

belt you

The primary part was a terrible vulnerable time

In grade 3 I was teachers pet

In grade 6, I was hated by a teacher

Both very good experiences

Have a benchmark

I am one of the few teachers who didn't go to another school

Got my Dip.Ed and then came straight here

Here the emphasis is on relationship with kids

One kid didn't want to get out of the car for 3-5 months

We backed off

He is now a straight A student in Year 12

We didn't put pressure on him

At this school the emphasis is on being with the kids

The playground just as important as the classroom

We do things with kids

Yesterday I drove to Brisbane and back with the kids, last week we took

the band down and got back at 3 a.m.

You do it and it's fun cause it's with the kids

*Frank: In state schools - teachers have problem with change. Why not here?

*Ian:

We maintain the philosophy that Vern developed

The ideas and the principles like non-competition

The approach of the school is static

Have to have give and take

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London:Falmer

2 Wolf, M. (1992) A thrice told tale: Feminism, Postmodernism &

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challenges Journal of Curriculum Studies 29(1) pp 71-85)

4 Docherty, T. (1993) Authority, history and the question of the

postmodern. In M. Biriotti and N. Miller (eds) What is an author ?

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Volume 2, Amsterdam: A.W. Sijhof.

8 Kanter, R. (1972) Commitment and Community: Communes and utopias in

sociological perspective Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press

1Marks, L. and Marks, T.J. (1991) The NUD¥IST System Qualitative

Sociology 14, pp 289 - 306.

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Chicago,Il: Aldine.

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CA: Sage.

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