Institutional absorption capacity and the network model of school management

Abstract

This study presents the results of a three-year longitudinal mixed methods case study. The fieldwork focused first on educational innovations, then on teachers' professional development and finally on the network aspects of workplace learning. This paper highlights the research findings on network-based school management. We present a management practice that regards schools as part of socioecological systems. This approach enables schools to recognise and access the resources of their environment in the long term. The model that was developed provides detailed insights into the content areas and platforms, selection filters and dynamics of internal and external collaborations. Research conducted with the help of the model tend to show that although horizontal learning within schools is often strong, external links remain weak, and only a few educational actors can collaborate effectively with other sectors.