Making meaning of school closure

Abstract

This qualitative research study examines the personal and psychological effects of the closing of a school on school employees. Through an investigation of the literature, records of the participant-researcher's own experience, and a series of personal interviews with school employees who experienced closure or near-closure, this study addressed the primary research question, "ʺHow do school employees personally experience the closure of their employing school?" A grounded theory approach and purposive sampling were utilized in research design. The experiences of students in the school or their parents were not examined, nor were the causes for or factors influencing the decision to close. Similarly, the legal, financial and procedural aspects of closing a school were considered only insofar as they affected school employees' personal experiences. Through a process of open coding, findings emerged which led to implications regarding: leadership in context; grief response; job loss concern; and shaping professional identity. The primary context for the research is an American independent school, where the researcher worked for seven years until its closure in 2013, although data from employees of three other schools is included in order to capture as wide a variation in data as possible. This is currently the only known study that examines the personal experience of school closure in independent schools in the United States. Generalizability may therefore be limited by the relatively small data set, but it is expected to add to a growing body of literature on the personal experience of school closure.