This paper discusses the preconditions under which individual learning is transformed into organisational learning (OL). According to many researchers, individual learning is no longer enough given the increasing complexity of things and situations; the members of the work community must learn to learn from one another (see Kim 1993; Senge 1990; Nikkanen 1996). Further, work communities must learn how to consciously foster their OL. Capacity-building in organisations is intended to create the preconditions of and opportunities for and generate experiences of collaboration and mutual learning (Fullan 2003). Briefly, all activities that promote the emergence of the characteristics of the learning organisation contribute also to smoother OL. This paper focuses on student participation, perceptions of studying as meaningful and the socio-psychological atmosphere of the organisation as factors promoting and fostering OL.

Traditionally, teachers have been central agents in developing teaching and the educational establishment. However, a learning vocational education establishment has also other active agents - the students. There are many well-grounded reasons why it is absolutely necessary to bring the students in, as full members of the work community, to contribute to the work to develop their own institution. It is the student who, at all levels of the educational system, is the real subject of the teaching-learning process. School is there primarily to serve the students - not the teachers. >From the perspective of school effectiveness, it is high-quality student learning that is essential. The way for individual and organisational learning will be smoothed if both the students and the rest of the work community perceive their learning as a meaningful activity.

Perceptions of meaningfulness offer a perspective on motivation: people do things that they find meaningful. Such feelings are determined by a broad range of perceived relationships obtained between the learner and their learning environment. If the students are to see their learning as meaningful, they must take part in the teaching-learning process right from the start.

Method

The article brings together findings of two studies. The first one was part of a feedback system project of a fairly large vocational education institution that produced, among other things, pre-tested indicators for measuring perceptions of meaningfulness among students and different staff groups, and data on development needs. The aims of the second one, the Competent Central Finland project, include improving the ability of local education to respond to changes in working life, and anticipating such changes. To go deeper into the subject, the materials can be supplemented with data from thematic interviews. The aim of the present study is to investigate:

1. What are the factors that promote or hamper the transformation of individual learning into organisational learning?
2. How are the learning processes of a work community manifested?
3. How has student participation been used as a resource in school development?

Results

Previous research reveals disparities in capacity-building between educational establishments. While there is relatively little extensive student participation in, for example, instructional planning, this has increased over the three-year follow-up period. Staff and students have assessed the results from the perspective of both the educational establishment as a whole and individual study fields.

Implications

The findings support the view that student motivation is what really counts in schools (see Wrigley 2003, 50). Good discussions between students and teachers have led to a fall in negative student responses to disagree-agree type questions, revealing a shift towards more positive responses.

Key words:

Meaningfulness, participation, atmosphere, transformation