Learning To Share, Sharing To Learn: Fostering Organizational Learning through Teachers' Dissemination of Knowledge.

This study examined the interplay between individual and organizational learning in school, noting factors that motivated and constrained the dissemination of teachers' learning. Information came from a larger qualitative study that explored how individual teachers' learning in a middle school instructional technology project was disseminated to other organizational members. Ten participating teachers completed a survey about their backgrounds, technological skills, technology use in instruction after participating in the Educators' Electronic Learning Community, and sharing of knowledge with colleagues. Next, participants completed interviews on knowledge, skills, and insights gained through participation in the project; methods used to share learning with colleagues; and factors affecting their ability to share information. Finally, they completed surveys that had them rate the strength of motivating and restraining factors. Results highlighted the power of the "practicality ethic" and the impact of longstanding school norms on teachers' decisions to learn and disseminate their learning to colleagues. The most influential factors included collegial relationships and reactions, time, beliefs and attitudes about learning and sharing, classroom benefits to teachers and students, and teachers' individual levels of technology competence. Motivating factors related to teachers' professional judgments, attitudes, and relationships. Constraining factors were external and related to the structure of the school day and year. (Contains 42 references.) (SM)