ABSTRACT
David Hargreaves (2003a) argues that the language of ‘improvement’ in education must give way to a language of ‘transformation’ because, at all levels in the system, there is growing recognition that top-down, centralist intervention in search of improved pupil performance has only limited success. As the upward curve of improvement on these measures falters, and begins to level out, pulling the same old levers ceases to work. What is needed, he says, is the creation of a learning system in which the creativity of professionals at all levels is released and shared. He quotes (ibid., p. 74) the words of Donald Schön, who over thirty-five years ago, wrote:
We must . . . become adept at learning. We must become able not only to transform our institutions, in response to changing situations and requirement; we must invent and develop institutions which are ‘learning systems’, that is to say, systems capable of bringing about their own continuing transformation.
