Creating smarter schools through collaboration

• Published in: Journal of educational administration Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 247 - 272
• Main Authors: Tschannen-Moran, Megan, Uline, Cynthia, Woolfolk Hoy, Anita, Mackley, Timm
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Armidale MCB UP Ltd 2000; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Beliefs; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive Psychology; Collaboration; Decision making; Discourse Communities; Educational Change; Educational Facilities Improvement; Educational Improvement; Focus Groups; High Schools; Information Processing; Instructional Materials; Interpersonal Relationship; Interviews; Learning; Meetings; Organizational learning; Personal Autonomy; Principals; Psychology; Resistance (Psychology); School Organization; Student Diversity; Students; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Cognition; Organizational learning; Psychology; Partnering
• ISSN: 0957-8234; 1758-7395
• DOI: 10.1108/09578230010342312

Principles of cognitive psychology are considered, not primarily as they inform classroom practice, but as they inform school organization and administrative practice in schools. Theories of knowledge as distributed, social, situated, and based on prior beliefs and knowledge are applied to organizational learning within schools. Collaborative problem solving is explored as a means that schools might employ to become smarter. The study is situated within a Midwestern high school that is striving to improve itself. This school employs collaborative strategies to learn and adapt to changed expectations and circumstances. In the school examined, this collaboration is orchestrated through the creation of discourse communities among teachers and cognitive apprenticeships among teachers and administrators.