Changing an Adult Learning Environment as Viewed from a Social Learning Perspective, 10(1)

Abstract

This article reports observations of teachers’ collaboration within an inner city elementary school located in western Canada. The study traces the school’s development as a learning organization, focusing on the interplay between individual – the level at which learning and action actually occur – and social learning – a conceptual tool for considering how people learn and work together – in the teachers’ professional development, and on the factors that contributed to the school’s social learning. The principal’s support fostered teachers’ collective learning regarding unfamiliar pedagogical methods. Staff attitude surveys provided indications of increasing staff satisfaction with the work environment, professional development opportunities, and decision making compared to satisfaction in previous years. The latter section of the article formulates conclusions regarding aspects of individual and social learning among teachers in the school, as well as suggestions of interest to teachers who wish to adapt to complex educational issues collaboratively.