Creating schools as learning communities: obstacles and processes

Abstract

PurposeThe paper sought to clarify the concept of learning organisation/community; to identify the barriers that are perceived to obstruct the creation of learning communities out of traditional schools; to identify how principals go about the task of converting their schools; and the special characteristics of leadership required to transform schools successfully.Design/methodology/approachThe study was dependent on an extensive review of the literature and generated data from structured interviews of principals from the New South Wales (Australia) public education system.FindingsRespondents lacked a clear understanding of a learning organisation despite their actions to implement the concept in their own schools; the concept may indeed be too abstract to enable a suitable workable definition; there is, nevertheless, a strong belief that the concept has much to offer; leadership is the key factor in transforming schools; and traditional school structures and cultures, lack of implementation time, and difficulty in obtaining the support of staff and parents are seen as the main barriers to implementation.Originality/valueThe paper explores extensively the possible implications of the study and addresses these to schools and school systems, principals, teachers and parents.

Organizational Learning in Schools

“…Yet, how do those in schools share responsibility for outcomes/learnings/problems when several matters are not within a school's control? ' Voulalas and Sharpe (2005) conducted interviews with 22 Australian metropolitan principals identified by district superintendents as taking action to help their schools become LOs. ' Hargreaves (1995: 12) goes further in suggesting that, ''the dynamics of blame.…”

Organizational learning and extra effort: The mediating effect of job satisfaction

“…Schools today, like other organizations, face a number of issues including a rapidly changing environment, increasing complexity, greater uncertainty, new challenges and demands for innovation, accountability and change (Stefl-Mabry, Radlick, Doane, & Theroux, 2007;Voulalas & Sharpe, 2005). Moreover, it has become clear that sustained school improvement requires a system-wide solution, which is at the same time practical and effective on a large scale.…”

Transformer l’école privée libanaise en école inclusive : quel rôle du·de la directeur·rice ?

“…D'un autre côté, la recension des écrits montre que les directeurrices d'école adoptent plusieurs types de leadeurship afin de s'acquitter de leurs responsabilités de dirigeante de l'établissement scolaire. Nous en avons repéré trois pouvant être en lien avec l'école inclusive : le leadeurship pédagogique (DiPaola et Hoy, 2007 ;Nettles et Herrington, 2007 ;Robinson, Lloyd et Rowe, 2008), le leadeurship transformationnel (Devos et Bouckenooghe, 2009 ;Gather Thurler, 2000 ;Reeves, 2002 ;Voulalas et Sharpe, 2005) et le leadeurship pour l'équité et la justice sociale (Kose, 2009 ;McKenzie, Christman, Hernandez, Fierro, Capper, Dantley et Scheurich, 2008 ;Riehl, 2000 ;Theoharis et Causton-Theoharis, 2008). Chacun de ces trois types de leadeurship renvoie à l'un des aspects de l'école inclusive soucieuse de l'amélioration de l'enseignement et de l'apprentissage, de développer sa capacité à soutenir le changement et tenant à assurer l'égalité des chances en éducation.…”