Sidelined in the Center: The Relationship Between Homeroom Teachers’ Network Centrality, Ownership, and School Effectiveness

• In Event: Understanding the Multifaceted Dynamics of Educational Environments: From Climate to Culture, and Collaboration

Abstract

Homeroom teachers (HTs) seem crucial to schools, but social network centrality and organizational psychological ownership of different teachers have not been investigated. This study asks how HTs’ centrality and ownership are related to school effectiveness. A model in which ownership mediates centrality and perceived school effectiveness compares different teacher roles. Data from 1221 teachers (34 schools) found HTs non-central and with low ownership. Ownership’s self-identity component mediated centrality and effectiveness in all networks, implying that HTs’ low ownership is largely influenced by their lack of centrality and requires compensatory mechanisms. Compared to teachers who also have coordinator roles, increasing HT centrality – possibly by adding managerial responsibilities – maximizes school effectiveness (per the law of diminishing marginal output).

Authors

• Ori Eyal, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Reut Liraz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Alla Hemi, University of Haifa

• Martin Daumiller, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich