Organizational learning and knowledge performance at middle-cost Pakistani schools: implications for leaders

Abstract

Purpose: There is limited research in Pakistan that describes how organizational learning, which is not contingent on funding, can be used to improve the quality of education in developing countries. This study addresses this gap in the literature with a study that examines the perceptions of educators at medium-cost schools in Karachi, Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach: As part of a larger mixed-method QUAN-qual study, this study used an instrument based on Watkins and Marsick’s Dimensions of the Learning Organization, to collect survey data from 21 head teachers/coordinators, 653 teachers at 32 urban schools. This paper presents an analysis of survey data and findings related to two research questions. This paper used exploratory factor analysis and simultaneous regression analysis to test four hypotheses. Findings: The findings suggest that of the four levels of learning, global and school level learning predict knowledge performance at medium-cost urban schools in Karachi, Pakistan. Practical implications: The paper includes implications for both school leaders and the education leadership faculty who prepare them to play a vital role in schools. Originality/value: The paper adds to a limited body of literature that describes how organizational learning can be used to improve the quality of education in developing countries such as Pakistan.