Implementation of the School as a Learning Organisation: Latvian Educators’ Experience

Abstract

The idea of the school as a learning organisation (SLO) has become a topical issue in many countries due to the rapid changes in curricula and the management of educational institutions. The process of purposeful implementation of SLO has started in the Latvian education system too. Within the framework of the project “Competence Approach to Curriculum” (School2030) implemented by the National Centre for Education (Republic of Latvia), not only the current curriculum documents are reviewed and improved, but also the introduction of SLO in general and vocational education in Latvia is realised – a school where each student’s deep learning is supported, students, teachers, school management and other staff learn individually and together, a school that is constantly changing and ready to meet the new challenges. SLO is also important for ensuring the assessment and monitoring of the quality of education. Consequently, the issue of SLO is also relevant for the Latvian State Education Quality Service in the accreditation and self-evaluation of educational institutions and the improvement of their principals’ professional competence. The aim of the research is to evaluate the mutual coherence and interaction of different levels of policy (education level, municipal level) in the successful implementation of SLO in general education in Latvia. In order to indicate the extent to which the approaches implemented at different levels of educational policy are consistent with the conceptual model of SLO, the theoretical concept of SLO is analysed in the study – key components, operating principles and preconditions for successful school transformation. The study also describes the international experience in the implementation of the SLO model, thus revealing the possible transfer of the experience of other countries to the Latvian educational context.