A Better GCE

Welcome to my first action project for my Social Entrepreneurship class. In this class, we learned about the five levels of Maslow’s hierarchy and the Tragedy of the Commons. For the end of our unit, we then had to create an action project and behave as an organizational consultant, and do a SWOT analysis on my school. 

Purpose:

I am focusing on the communication aspect of my school. Specifically on how my school collects feedback from the students and what they do with the feedback once they have collected it. Collecting feedback from students is important for GCE because it helps tailor the classes to how each individual learns. It also helps identify concerns and problems within the school so that staff can easily address them. 

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:

Our school is better than most schools because we set aside time to collect feedback from students and is one of the only schools that actively ask students for feedback. With fewer students in the school, it is easier to complete surveys and collect feedback as a whole group. Collecting feedback allows us to gain a greater perspective on the student's needs. Some teachers and staff use the feedback form to help support students individually. The feedback is collected online, so it is all easy to view and access.

Weaknesses:

Some weaknesses that the feedback system faces are that the end-of-term survey is not completed by all students and that the surveys are not anonymous. Many of the questions in the survey are not open-ended and are repetitive. Most feedback is met with a basic response from the administration. This leaves some students saying that GCE is lacking as an institution.

Opportunities:

The end-of-term survey is a great way for students to share their opinion at the end of each term. The term is fresh on students' minds so it makes the form easier to fill out. The feedback collected helps plan schedules and classes. The feedback forms all staff to see where students need specific help and how to help them feel appropriately challenged. By revising the end-of-term survey, we have an opportunity to add more pointed and grade-level questions. This could also be an opportunity to get students involved with creating the question for the survey. A student panel or something through student council.

Threats:

The data is not turned around fast enough so many of the students don't see the feedback implemented. Many of the students aren't truthful because they fear repercussions since the survey is not anonymous. By collecting feedback, GCE  also runs a risk of misinterpreting the feedback.

SWOT Explanation:

I conducted interviews with two teachers and two students. I choose teacher #1 because they are one of the main people in facilitating the feedback system and end-of-term survey that GCE conducts on its students. I choose teacher #2 because they are outside of the feedback system when it comes to creating the surveys and taking the time to collect the data. Teacher #2 observes the system while teacher #1 is actively part of the system. The student I interviewed has been a part of GCE for at least 2 years. Prior to attending GCE, they attended a CPS high school. So I believe this gave them a good insight into the differences between our school and an alternative option for schooling. The second student I interviewed had been at GCE for all of their high school career. 

After completing this SWOT analysis, I have come to the conclusion that GCE's way of collecting feedback is often repetitive. That this causes the student to lose interest in what they are submitting over time. I have also learned that since the feedback system is not anonymous, many students will not share what they are really thinking. What puts GCE's feedback system ahead of other schools is the fact that we are one of the only schools that actively collect feedback and conduct surveys among the students. A clear resolution based on the SWOT analysis and interviews I conducted was to create a student panel that would help add questions to the end-of-term survey and update it every so often. Another resolution would be to make the surveys anonymous. Completing both of these resolutions would help more students complete the survey and boost the number of students who answer and hopefully the quality of their answers. 

My SWOT analysis is connected connects to the tragedy of the commons because if everyone expected everyone else in the class to fill out the feedback forms and surveys, there would be no data for the teachers to collect. Now if everyone was thinking about the greater good of the school, they would complete the surveys because they knew that every piece of data helps the teachers. SWOT analysis also connects to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It is connected to Maslow's self-actualization because collecting feedback from the students can help the teachers organize the classes in a way that the students can achieve their full potential. Collecting feedback can also help with the psychological needs of Maslow's hierarchy. By collecting data from the students through surveys, the students can be recognized for their work throughout the term and gain a sense of accomplishment and completion. This would be esteem needs on Maslow's hierarchy. Collecting data also helps teachers understand the students better, which helps them form better connections in the classroom. This would be belongingness and love needs on Maslow's hierarchy.