Organisational learning and teacher competence in Ugandan government-aided secondary schools

Abstract

This study examined the influence of organisational learning on teacher competence. Organisational learning was studied in the context of continuous learning, dialogue and inquiry, and team learning while teacher competence covered ethical competence, pedagogical competence, subject matter competence, and assessment and evaluation. The study population consisted of 3,873 teachers from six districts. The study employed the simple random sampling technique and Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) sampling table to determine the sample of 351 teachers, who participated in the study. The study utilised the advanced partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4, to uncover the relationships between variables. The findings revealed that continuous learning and dialogue and inquiry have a positive and significant influence on teacher competence. However, continuous team learning had an insignificant influence on teacher competence. Based on the findings, it was concluded that continuous learning and dialogue and inquiry are important for the development of teacher competence. However, team learning has less significance in enhancing teacher competence. Therefore, head teachers should implement organisational learning, specifically continuous learning and dialogue and inquiry. The practical contribution of the study is that it shows how organisational learning can be used to promote teacher competence.