The following study is based on the assumption that self-managing schools are in need of capacity of organizational learning. Not till then they are able to use available scope appropriately. Referring to theories of organizational learning the establishment of infrastructure and professional learning communities is constitutive to encourage the capacity of organizational learning. In Germany there are some efforts to increase school autonomy. An example is the large innovation program of self-managing schools in North Rhine-Westphalia called “Selbstständige Schule”. The project aims at the increasing self-directed learning of pupils by implementing improvement programs of teaching and learning. A basic component of the conception is to develop teacher teams, which refer to teaching and learning immediately. Thus teacher teams can be seen as the intermediary variable between capacity of organizational learning and improvement of teaching an learning. The following question deals with the topic to what extent the analyzed schools fulfil criteria of professional learning communities. Finally we want to figure out what are the main factors that influence the success of setting-up and establishing teacher teams.

The study is embedded in the accompanying research of the innovation program “Selbstständige Schule”. Case studies on the basis of four schools enable the description of different development processes of teacher teams and the judgement to what extent the schools have established professional learning communities. The choice of the cases allows relating them in a contrastive manner. Beside qualitative data generated by interviewing headteachers, members of steering groups and further teachers at two measure points (2004, 2006) the study uses data from a longitudinal design with three measure points and questionnaires of headmasters (n=278) and teacher survey (n=2.750) in 84 chosen schools. Therefore processes und levels of teamwork can be shown with quantitative data and the four cases can be compared to a larger sample of schools. A qualitative cross-case analysis provides key conditions during the process of setting-up and establishing teacher teams.

The early findings suggest: school change and improvement demand collaboration and intensive teamwork within the staff. Intentions of development processes have to be discussed mutually and decision making should be corporate. Comprehensive tasks such as systematic improvement of teaching and learning call for collaborative implementation and reflection. Collaboration needs the individual teacher’s commitment, their time quotas have to be inserted. Thus the time structure and rhythm of schooling is a main structural condition for collaboration. Organized and structured team work has to be associated with work relief. The four different schools have a highly different level of institutionalised team work. These varieties might be referred to different school types and appendant cultural aspects.