textLearning community has to do with personal and professional commitments.
Learning community is evidenced in the overall quality of organizational life and
with how people feel about each other and about their work. Furthermore, learning
community provides the culture and the environment that encourages people to fully
maximize their skills and talents, giving them the freedom to explore new ideas and
new solutions which ultimately lead to significant and sustainable improvements in
student learning and in the attainment of organizational goals.
Leadership is critical in establishing the culture, the structures, and the
expectations for the creation of learning community. The primary purpose of this
study was to examine the leadership perspectives and behaviors of superintendents in
developing learning communities. This was a multiple case study of two
superintendents of large, complex educational organizations who are working to
create learning communities. A cross case analysis was conducted to establish
prevalent themes common to each of the cases. Data were collected through the use
of interviews, document analysis, and observation.
This study contributes to the field of educational administration by identifying
the critical elements of superintendent leadership necessary to create organizations
that can be characterized as learning communities. In addition, implications for
research and practice were identified.Educational Administratio