The patterns of organizational learning in a private secondary school in rural Pakistan

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore Pakistani patterns of organizational learning (OL) in order to understand how schools as organizations learn and improve within this context.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative case study approach, and activity theory as diagnostic framework, data were generated from various school stakeholders through semi-structured interviews and observations.

Findings

It is found that schools in Pakistan are more inclined toward the technical perspective of OL; mostly relying on external sources to acquire knowledge for organizational improvement. This is due to the lack of strong intellectual capital as well as the lack of interactions among teachers inside schools.

Practical implications

The focus of academicians and practitioners in developing the context should be supporting schools in their acquisition of knowledge and its dissemination across the whole school system. Moreover, creating structures and cultures for teachers’ interaction inside schools might be helpful for generating knowledge from the workplace.

Originality/value

The paper also presents a model of OL which could be used to study and speed up the processes of OL especially in developing context.

Citation

Nawab, A. (2014), "The patterns of organizational learning in a private secondary school in rural Pakistan", Asian Education and Development Studies, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 135-149. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-02-2013-0009