INTERNALIZING A REFLEXIVE IDENTITY – A CHALLENGE FOR SCHOOL MANAGEMENT

For thirty years, learning is an intense concept studied by organizations, the specialists thinking that “the time of strategic planning is rapidly changing into the era of organizational learning” (Schon, 1994), as man is considered not only a resource for the school organization, but a valuable source in heart of the strategic development process of the organization. Relatively recent research (Senge, 1991; Schon, 1994) shows that innovation is becoming easier and more sustainable in “learning organizations”. Our article aims to feed the theoretical reflection on the school as a “learning organization”, on its ambivalence and paradoxes, and to make further clarification about its management directions. We base our analysis on the principles of postmodernism in education, on an interpretative posture, humanistic essence, building a transversal and multi-level “reading grid” of the school organization focused on such a learning approach. The concept has much to offer to the reforming and restructuring thinking about the organization. Although the theoretical analysis exerts a great attraction, the learning organization remains a philosophy rather than a program. This raises many questions. Let’s not forget that the school is (still) quite strong perceived as the place “of teaching”, of transmitting knowledge. But the learner, the learning organization, are built on something else.