Six School Types

Abstract

Six types of school organisations are presented, in which different drivers for improvement capacity can be identified. These are the idea-driven school, the plan-driven school, the model-driven school, the problem-driven school, the profession-driven school and the team-driven school. A short typological description of each type is given. There follows an illustration from a school in our study that represents each type, in which the school’s background is presented, as well as its infrastructure and improvement history. Improvement processes and roles are described. Every type ends with a section on how to understand the empirical example on the basis of the typological description and on possible ways in which this understanding could be transformed into actions that could strengthen the school’s improvement capacity. The relative lengthy descriptions are intended for school leaders and practising teachers. This is so as to increase the possibility for them to recognise themselves in the practice of their improvement capacity. For readers who are more interested in methodological concerns, we recommend them to read the overview at the opening of the chapter, continue with the typological descriptions and then move on to the concluding reflections in Chap. 5.