Date of Award

6-25-2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Ibrahim Duyar

Abstract

The primary function of a school is learning. What this causal-comparative and correlational study sought to resolve is whether schools which are designed for learning can learn. The purpose of the study was four-fold. First, to validate the Dimensions of a Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) as an instrument to be used to within the school context. Secondly, to ascertain if there was a difference in how the factors of the DLOQ loaded in relation to the achievement level of a school. Thirdly, the study was to assess whether the dimensions of learning organization—continuous learning, dialogue and inquiry, collaboration, embedded systems, empowerment, systems connections, and strategic leadership—as measured by the DLOQ can predict the achievement level of schools. Finally, the study examined the influence organizational culture components of psychological safety, transformational leadership and organizational uncertainty had on schools becoming learning organizations. This casual-comparative and correlational study had 162 participants from 42 schools which were in the central Arkansas region to participate. These participants completed a questionnaire that included the 21-item DLOQ along with questions centered around psychological safety (Garvin, Edmondson, & Gino, 2008), transformational leadership (Garvin, Edmondson, & Gino, 2008), and organizational uncertainty (Ellis & Shpielberg, 2003). A refined model of three constructs—individual learning, organizational learning and providing leadership—was created and exhibited construct validity and validated the DLOQ as a measure to be used within the school context. The study found that the DLOQ was generally invariant across the two samples. A logistic regression was performed, and it was concluded that the dimension of Dialogue and Inquiry would positively predict the likelihood of a school being a high achieving school. The results of a multi-group confirmatory analysis showed that transformational leadership and psychological safety both positively influenced schools becoming learning organizations. It is suggested that transformational leadership creates psychological safety for teachers within the school. Transformational leadership is an important piece to schools being a learning organization.

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