Perceived success factors in an outstanding school serving socioeconomically vulnerable students: case study of a Chilean primary school

Abstract

This qualitative research explores, using a study-case method, the perceived success factors in an outstanding Chilean primary school which serves socioeconomically vulnerable students. A purposive sample based on convenience of 10 teachers and 3 school leaders participated in 13 semi-structured interviews and 3 class observations. Through a thematic analysis, 13 themes regarding school success factors composed of 40 codes were identified. All themes were organized under the 3 structural categories based on the constitutive elements of the Instructional Core model (teachers, students and contents). The analysis revealed the importance of the interrelation among success factors to understand the impact of these elements in school effectiveness. Also, elements such as the ongoing and changing nature of the success factors, the strong influence of leadership and internal relationships and the use of professional judgement, discretion and situated knowledge by teachers, were identified as key aspects to understand the effectiveness of this school in the Chilean educational context. The research concludes by proposing some challenges to encourage school effectiveness in the Chilean public sector as a way to foster equity and social justice through education.