Invoering van een gedigitaliseerde onderwijspraktijk - Deel A : Patronen van interventies in een model van organisatieleren en leiderschapspraktijken in samenwerking met Henk Verbeeten

Abstract

Outcomes of educational changes are often disappointing. It’s difficult implementing complex educational changes in such a way that they result in institutionalization. The research literature presents the conflicting demands from the school environment combined with the complexity of the many factors that influence each other in the innovation process as a possible explanation for this. The final goal of this research study is to determine which combination of factors is needed in order to successfully implement a complex innovation. Therefore, the research question of the dissertation is: “How do school organizations manage to influence the image that teachers have in their minds concerning the digitalization of education and the use of digital learning materials in such a way that a form of institutionalizing, that is in agreement with the principles on which the strategic change policy of the school is founded, is taking place?” The research study is designed as an explanatory case study of six secondary schools. These schools work to improve education through a wide use of ict resources. In these schools it is determined, over a longer period of time, whether teachers use digital learning materials, how they use them and how their internal models about digital learning materials change. Additional information about influences from the school environment, individual and collective learning by teachers when they develop a new approach of teaching and leadership practice is also collected. Through pattern matching three patterns are found that answer the research question. The overall conclusion is that the coherence between these factors determines whether an innovation will succeed or fail. This is an important new insight for both researchers and educational school leaders. It is obvious that interpersonal relationships are crucial. In line with social-constructivist ideas about learning, the research study confirms that educational changes are sustainable as the majority of teachers are gradually changing their ideas about good teaching in accordance with the strategic goals of the school and act upon it in the classroom. This is enhanced when colleagues together shape the idea of the innovation while working and constantly learning together. It seems of great importance that working on the innovation is organized as a joint task and that through this the exchange of experiences and collective reflection and sensemaking are facilitated. It is essential that supervisors create conditions for collective learning and participate actively in this process. In schools with such a learning culture school leaders operate asa learning community in both vertical and horizontal work relationships. The core of the leadership practice is a collective vision about educating students and at the same time it is alsoa vision about encouraging collective learning processes among professionals. Strategic leaders in these schools develop the strategic policy for the school which should be consistent with the learning ability of the staff and the teachers. This research leads to a conceptual model in which organizational learning, distributed leadership and context management are integrated. Recommendations for further research and rethinking strategies for educational improvement are formulated.