Educators' perceptions of the school as a learning organization in the Vanderbijlpark-North District, South Africa

This article outlines the principal findings of research that sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of schools as learning organisations in the Vanderbijl Park-North District of the Gauteng province of South Africa. The quantitative research methodology used was of major importance in obtaining data that were grounded largely on the theoretical framework of learning organisations as well as in the personal experiences of educators and principals. The purpose of the research was to investigate the essential features of learning organizations, the perceptions of educators in respect of these essential features and the guidelines that could be provided for schools to cope with the demands of continuous learning and adaptation in a turbulent environment. A major finding was that the learning disciplines of personal mastery, mental models, a shared vision, teamwork and systems thinking were fundamental to two factors: namely, a collaborative culture and personal beliefs about educator commitment. The school can therefore function as a learning organization by cultivating a climate where a collaborative culture and beliefs that stimulate educator commitment can develop. (South African Journal of Education: 2002 22(2): 88-94

Teacher-led professional development through a model of action research, collaboration and facilitation

This article addresses the need for ‘coherent, holistic frameworks offering insightful understandings as well as viable, connected and synergistic solutions to schools. We describe a model which emerged from a research study developed in the context of a professional development course attended by more than 150 teachers from primary and secondary schools in Southeast London and Kent (UK) in the last 4 years. The design was based on data collected through 28 interviews to participants, reports and evaluation surveys and field notes from facilitators. The model is particularly innovative because it portrays not only the process of facilitation of action research but also the process of collaboration between facilitators and participants. It identifies five steps of development of teacher-led action research and highlights the issues and challenges to be considered in each step: 1. Defining the field of action (motivations and concerns, finding a research focus and questioning); 2. Planning (time, research skills and criticality); 3. Action (power relations and ethical awareness); 4. Evaluation (professional judgement, peer review, theory and practice) and 5. Reflection/(Re)planning (transformation and sustained development). This model can be used as a framework to enhance the development of teacher-led research in schools