Knowledge Management And Its Application On Learning School

The rapid change in human society due to recent technological advancements has made continual learning the most important way for people to cope with such social changes. Lifelong learning thus became an important education model to organizations worldwide and the core belief of education reforms in different parts of world. While lifelong learning is a user-focus learning theory, it is necessary for schools to enhance the education efficiency by developing lifelong learning culture through organizational learning and innovation in order to cope with lifelong learning and education reforms.The idea of a learning school is probably the future hope of schools for the following reasons. Firstly, a learning school is eager to make innovations and changes and to keep learning. Secondly, it promotes lifelong learning to teachers, so that they can keep learning and improve pedagogical competencies for life. Thirdly, it helps the school to transform into a learning school and to develop the student's attitude and ability in lifelong learning. This paper investigates correlations between lifelong learning and factors affecting the efficiency of school according to the implications of lifelong learning and theories in organizational learning and organizational innovation.The total of 209 valid pretest questionnaires recovered from 19 schools in Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung County, Pingdong County and Tainan City were the sources of factor analysis for the testing instruments that were used in the study. An empirical study on teachers of private and public elementary schools in Taiwan was conducted in a formal survey. The number of valid samples was 1002. T-test, ANOVA, regression analysis and AMOS were applied to verify the assumptions made in the study.Findings indicated that:1. The effect of lifelong learning was best illustrated in the task-focus culture. The effect of organizational learning was best illustrated in the value of information sharing. The effect of organizational innovation was best illustrated in organizational atmosphere innovation. The status of lifelong learning, organizational learning and organizational innovation was high.2. The task-focus culture in lifelong learning that would subsequently enhance school efficiency could stimulate organizational learning and organizational innovation most effectively. Moreover, there was a cause-effect correlation between lifelong learning and organizational learning and innovation. 3. The value of information sharing in organizational learning could promote organizational innovation most effectively; and organizational learning and organizational innovation were mutually affected. The organizational atmosphere innovation in such a mutual effect could predict the school efficiency and influence the performance of school administration and curriculum and instruction development most effectively.4. In summary, organizational innovation could enhance school efficiency most effectively, then life learning and organizational learning.5. Elements of the learning school model constructed according to the AMOS included: task focus, learning focus, personal learning, information sharing value, team cooperation, depth dialog, instructional behavior innovation, equipment resource innovation, administration innovation and organizational atmosphere innovation. The efficiency of a learning school could help promote curriculum and instruction development and community recognition and participation; and enhance the pedagogical competencies of teachers and the administration performance of school. All these would help accomplish the goals in grade 1-9 curriculum.6. Based on the learning school model, elementary schools under the jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan with less than 24 classes are most suitable for transformation. Yet, there is still much space for improvement in all elementary schools. Therefore, it is needed to reinforce the idea of a learning school in these schools.7. Learning-focus in lifelong learning is a key indicator of a school transforming into a learning school. Moreover, lifelong learning is the core belief for constructing a learning school; and the learner-based learning-focus teaching belief is the core belief of lifelong learning and the core belief of the grade 1-9 curriculum. Yet, there is still space for enforcing the learning-oriented teaching belief in practice. Therefore, it is needed to reinforce the learning-focus belief in lifelong learning.The originality of this study:1. Construct the relationship figure between model and structure for learning school of elementary of the learning school in Taiwan. The relationship figure between model and structure reveals the notable explanation abilities of each aspect. Those potential factors, such as the culture in lifelong learning, the organizational learning and the organizational innovation, can be displayed effectively and uniformly by observed amount. And they all have notable explanation abilities for the school efficiency finally.2. Schools should change the teaching belief of teachers about"regarding students as the core"and"focusing on learning". From the analysis of this study, the current teachers are short of the teaching belief of learning-focus in the elementary schools. The teaching beliefs about"regarding students as the core"and"focusing on learning"have not been constructed adequately. The schools and teachers do not have enough cognition and acceptance for the teaching belief of learning-focus. Therefore, for the culture in lifelong learning, the standardization factors load of the learning-focus is lower than that of the task-focus. And the standardization factors load of the learning-focus is the lowest between all elements on the construction of learning school model. (λ=.72)3. From the results of analysis, using the location and the scale of the school as the group factor, the suitable degree is near between the development of the elementary schools and learning schools in Taiwan. The elementary schools in Taiwan are toward become the learning schools, but there are some efforts needed. This study performs the multiple group comparison analysis of AMOS, by locations (under the jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan, the Province, the County, and the small towns) and scales (the large school with 49 classes above, the middle school with 25-48 classes, and the small school with 24 classes below) of the schools. The results appear that the suitable degree has notable difference between the locations and the scales of schools for developing to the learning schools. According to the comparison with the locations of the elementary schools in Taiwan, the suitable degree of the elementary schools under the jurisdiction of the County and the Executive Yuan are best, the next are under the jurisdiction of the small towns and the Province. Through the comparison with the scales of the elementary schools, the suitable degree of the small schools is better than middle and large schools.Recommendations1. Schools should develop a task-focus and learning-focus lifelong learning culture.2. Schools should develop an organizational learning culture that builds up on information sharing value, team cooperation and depth dialog in order to promote lifelong learning and pedagogical competencies improvement of teachers. 3. Schools should encourage instructional behavior innovation through administration innovation, creating the organizational innovation atmosphere and equipment resource innovation.4. Teachers should consider team learning and personal learning in continuing education planning in order to support changes in the reform of the grade 1-9 curriculum.5. Learning school should be based on task-focus and learning-focus.