Assessing the organizational learning capacity of schools

grantor: University of TorontoThe intent of this study was to develop a model of organizational learning that could be used to assess the organizational learning capacity of schools. Seven research questions guided the study: What is the nature of individual professional learning in schools? What is the nature of team learning in schools? What is the nature of whole organization learning in schools? How can schools increase their capacity for organizational learning? Can changes in schools' organizational learning capacities be described as a series of stages? If yes, what are the features of these stages? What conditions stimulate and restrict movement through stages of organizational learning, if such stages can be identified? This research was conducted in two distinct phases. Phase one consisted of an extensive review of the organizational learning literature and the development of a preliminary framework to describe growth in organizational learning capacity of schools. In phase two the framework was revised and refined. Organizational learning capacity was conceptualized as a four-stage process occurring across five units of organizational learning (individual learning, team learning, whole school learning, learning processes and learning levers) that were identified in the model building phase. Using this model it is possible to assess learning capacity along a number of dimensions and determine the stage of development for a particular school. An analysis of the interview data suggests that individual learning occurs along a continuum that ranges from very little interest in individual professional learning in schools that are at Stage 1 to a very sophisticated level of learning in schools that are at Stage 4. Team learning is a sophisticated skill and schools in the early stages of developing their organizational learning capacity are unlikely to be very productive at it. Sophisticated team learning occurred in schools that were in the third and fourth stage of development but for schools in the first two stages there was little evidence of team learning. The level, breadth, rate and strength of the learning process are measures that help to determine the capacity of an organization to learn continuously and to make intelligent decisions. Results from the data indicate that as schools progress through the stages of growth new learning becomes pervasive and widely accepted throughout the school, whereas in the early stages, learning is superficial in nature. A total of six organizational conditions (learning levers) that can leverage the learning capacity of a school were also identified. Prominent among these conditions were building a shared vision of learning and having visionary leaders (principals) with transformational leadership styles, adopting a systems perspective, maintaining a flexible organizational structure, creating a collaborative culture and providing resources for learning. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Ph.D