Independent schools as learning organisations and the role of leadership in developing a learning culture

Abstract

The purpose of the study was threefold: 1. To determine the key concepts of the Learning Organisation philosophy that is developing increasing prominence in recent literature, particularly in the business world. 2. To examine the extent to which Independent Schools in the greater Sydney region fit the Learning Organisation model. 3. To examine the role that leadership can play in the development and implementation of a Learning Culture in Independent Schools. Document analysis was the methodology used to address the first problem. A Learning Organisation Survey was developed, tailored more specifically to educational institutions, to address the second and third problems identified above. Nineteen randomly selected schools participated in the study, with twelve surveys being sent to each of these schools (thirty were invited to participate). There was a relatively even spread amongst boys', girls', and coeducational schools for the study. Fifteen of the schools returned seventy five percent or more of the individual survey responses. A number of Learning Organisation categories were developed for the study: Vision, Positive Thinking, Risk Taking / Openness to Change, The Importance of People, Resources, Professional Development / Learning Power, and Leadership. These categories, along with the Cumulative Totals for the survey, were then analysed and discussed within the context of school types (boys', girls', and coeducational). Statistical analysis took the form of 't' tests for two samples assuming unequal variances. The results that were gleaned from the survey are best considered from two viewpoints. Of the Learning Organisation categories, Vision and Leadership fared most strongly, whilst Resources and Professional Development / Learning Power were the weakest (the other categories were in the intermediate range). The girls' and coeducational schools involved in the study significantly outperformed the boys' schools in every Learning Organisation category. Five of the six highest scoring schools were girls' schools - these schools could certainly be described as fitting the proposed Learning Organisation.