Conceptualization and challenges: examining district and school leadership and schools as learning organizations

Abstract

Purpose Conceptualizing schools as learning organizations provides a potential avenue to meet the pressing challenges of school improvement in the USA. District and school leaders play an important role in creating and sustaining the conditions for a learning organization, yet little is known about how leadership responds to learning-resistant contexts in their mission to improve schools. This study aims to examine the relationship between the district and school leadership and schools as learning organizations. The focus is on the conceptualization of schools as learning organizations and the challenges involved in creating and sustaining conditions and processes in which to improve schools. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses semi-structured interviews with district and school leaders in the state of Georgia and data from completed dimensions of a learning organization questionnaire (DLOQ) study to analyze how district and school leaders conceptualize or make sense of schools as learning organizations and overcome challenges associated with creating and sustaining a learning organization in learning resistant contexts. Findings The analyzes find that participants perceive their school or district as a learning organization when the structure allows others to work together to learn and grow for the benefit of students. Originality/value This study is unique in that it adds to a growing number of studies that examine schools as learning organizations using the DLOQ and sheds light on the nature of learning resistant contexts.

Partnership Between Teachers and School Counsellors for Quality Learning and Work in the Community

“…The latter most often highlighted that teachers reacted differently to their initiatives for collaboration, that some were willing to cooperate, that they sought help, while others perceived this as interference or additional work. It is probably crucial that everyone involved is willing to learn together and change the established patterns of behaviour, beliefs and views on their roles as educators, changing the perspective on both teaching and their own learning (Makovec, 2018;Vermunt, 2014;Welsh et al, 2021). This willingness to learn, in conjunction with other personal factors such as prior experience, professional identity, self-confidence, tolerance for uncertainty, etc., depends on contextual factors, too (Vermunt, 2014).…”

“…This willingness to learn, in conjunction with other personal factors such as prior experience, professional identity, self-confidence, tolerance for uncertainty, etc., depends on contextual factors, too (Vermunt, 2014). The organization of the learning environment is of particular importance (do the structures allow for collaborative work and learning, collaboration in teams) (Admiraal et al, 2019;Bakkenes, Vermunt and Wubbels, 2010 see in Vermunt, 2014;Stoll and Kools, 2017;Welsh et al, 2021) as is the culture of the school (is it competitive, in which educators have to prove themselves constantly, does directive leadership prevail, or is it open to collaboration, innovation and exploration) (Stoll and Kools, 2017).…”

“…The teachers were even more likely to say that this did not present an obstacle at all. This is certainly a good indicator because effective communication between educators is one of the key conditions for quality collaboration and for facing work challenges jointly (Welsh et al, 2021). Without mutual respect, genuine interest in each other's work, worries and perspective -as well as trust in each other's strength and competencethere can be no real foundations for quality collaboration.…”

“…In this changing global world, we can connect in very different ways, and these new forms of organization are characterized by being loose, flexible, collaborative, and purposeful (Lieberman, 2012). It is important, however, that the formation of different groups due to joint work and learning is always given meaning (Welsh et al, 2021), that we share goals, develop trusting relationships, do research together and seek the best possible solutions to the challenges of everyday practice (Lieberman, 2012).…”

“…We start from the assumption that educators are key actors in creating opportunities for the mutual learning of and collaboration between the members of the school community and their collaboration with the wider community (Šteh et al, 2018). Head teachers certainly play an important role (see Welsh et al, 2021;Schleicher, 2015;McCarty, Wallin and Boggan, 2014), but in this paper we will focus on the collaboration between counsellors and teachers.…”