Examining organizational learning in schools: The role of psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning

Abstract

This study draws upon theory and methods from the field of organizational behavior to examine organizational learning (OL) in the context of a large urban U.S. school district. We build upon prior literature on OL from the field of organizational behavior to introduce and validate three subscales that assess key dimensions of organizational learning that build upon and extend prior education research: psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning. Data from 941 teachers across 60 schools in this urban district suggest that organizational learning is an underlying condition which is expressed by teacher perceptions of subfactors of psychological safety, experimentation, and leadership that reinforces learning. Implications for adopting the conceptual framework and methods employed in this research for studying organizational learning and school change are discussed.