Educational infrastructures and organisational memory: Observations from a Swedish perspective

Abstract

This article focuses on the interplay between the concepts of ‘educational infrastructure’ and ‘organisational memory’. Using data from collaboration between a Swedish university and a local municipality, the article draws attention to the interplay between three nation-wide improvement programmes and their educational infrastructures, and the knowledge developed and stored in the local schools. The data analysis is supported by the theoretical concept of organisational memory built up by ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ forms of knowledge. The findings show that primarily soft types of knowledge were developed and stored in organisational memory in the local schools. The programmes, therefore, became highly dependent on leaders’ and teachers’ personal knowledge and commitment, in-job training, imitation and socialisation. Regarding hard types of knowledge, for example, clear guidelines, organisational routines, processes and roles for improvement work, the programmes and their infrastructures were, generally, less supportive. These findings illuminate the importance of an organisational learning perspective in successful school system improvement.