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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore a concept that has been less examined in empirical research on school organization, namely Network Learning Capacity (NLC). It is proposed that teachers’ professional networks enhance teachers’ individual NLC. This process leads to a formation of professional community (PC) and therefore affects the level of organizational learning (OL). Design/methodology/approach The quantitative study with multiple methods comprising social network analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling was conducted. Data were collected from a school implementing the International Baccalaureate (IB) programs in Taiwan. Findings Findings suggest that certain network positions were crucial in forming NLC on instruction. In addition, reflective dialogue, shaped by NLC, is the key component in establishing learning in this case school. Originality/value As the first of its kind in an educational context, the study highlights the linkages between network position and the development of professional learning community, which is mediated through NLC. This study contributes to illuminating the process of how PC practices and OL can be promoted in schools.

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Contextualizing cultural foundations of modern university development has increasingly been ubiquitous. This paper probes cultural awareness of Taiwan’s academia in times of change. Despite the government-driven motives to impose Western indicators in measuring success, the study’s empirical evidence reveals that Taiwanese academics cherish their traditional culture. Ambitions were spawned from attempts to underpin their higher education system along cultural lines, while tensions were escalated when coping with the government policy benchmarking against Western standards. Citing the perspectives of two premier universities’ executives and faculty members, Taiwan’s academic society shares cultural affinities to rally a blended model that synthesizes its longstanding indigenized values and imported Western experiences. Revitalizing cultural consciousness calls for alternatives to Taiwan’s existing Western-oriented model of higher education.