ABSTRACT
This chapter clarifies the strengths of approaching school reform and school redesign through the development of organizational learning processes when we compare this approach with two alternatives that have received greater attention in the educational literature to date. More fundamental, however, is the crucial assumption implicitly embedded in much of the effective schools literature that a single best, albeit elusive, organizational design is suitable for most schools. Similar to the organizational learning approach, backward mapping offers no specific model of a well-designed school, and assumes that many designs are possible depending on the nature of the technical core and its demands. There is a strong, logical case for greater attention to individual and collective learning in schools experiencing turbulent times, but three problems remain: the context problem, the evidence problem, and the strategies problem. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
