Organizational Learning Mechanisms: Exploring a Conceptual Framework for Organizational Learning in Schools

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In light of the complexity and wealth of information in societies today the notion of organizational learning has become the forerunner of school change discourse. However, organizational learning is still characterized by mystical and amorphous rhetoric, understood well neither by researchers nor by practitioners. Therefore, this article is an attempt to explore the notion of organizational learning through the concept of organizational learning mechanisms (OLMs) and the culture in which they are embedded. A case study in a large school, comprised of middle and secondary grades, provided the context for studying OLMs and the learning values (culture) influencing their productivity. The study strengthens the ability to empirically research learning by schools through the structural and cultural framework. Lessons drawn from the study and future research, which may contribute to the field of organizational learning, are discussed