Double-loop learning means questioning the assumptions, rules or beliefs behind an action—not simply trying to perform the same action better.
Single-loop learning asks, How can we improve what we are doing?
Double-loop learning also asks, Are we doing the right thing, and what led us to believe that we were?
This deeper learning becomes important when repeated improvements do not resolve the problem or consequences challenge the accepted explanation. It can change not only what people do, but how they understand the situation and decide what to do next.