Intersection of trajectories: a newcomer in a community of practice

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of a newcomer to the practice of policing to explore conceptualisations of learning through practice. It aims to position learning as the intersections of trajectories of being and becoming within a community of practice. The paper seeks to argue that learners need to be understood with respect to their personal histories and how these interact with the social and cultural dimensions of the workplace. Design/methodology/approach -This paper is a case study of a new police officer with data collected through a series of interviews and observations over a two-year period. Findings -The case study presented demonstrates the relationship between prior experience, personal histories, participation and a sense of belonging in shaping the learning of early-career police officers. It suggests that in considering newcomers to the workplace it is important to view the process of learning as being influence by these interconnected factors. Research limitations/implications -This study concludes that the position of the individual in the social learning of a community of practice is an important aspect that needs further exploration. Although the significance of learner identity with communities of practice is acknowledged by Lave and Wenger it remains underdeveloped, and continues to present as an area for further research. Practical implications -Trajectories of learning for newcomers to the workplace are affected by their previous social and cultural experiences and expertise, the association that they bring from these to the new community and participation in practices of the community. There exists, therefore, a role for managers in shaping the organisation to be supportive of these informal learning experience and, thus, the selection and training of managers should be aligned to these goals. Originality/value -This paper extends current understandings of learning and development in the policing context as well as contributing to the broader discussion of informal learning in the workplace and understanding of experts and novices within communities of practice.

Professional learning in rural practice: a sociomaterial analysis

“…Unlike previous research on the professional learning of police (Campbell et al , 2009; Harris et al , 2004; Lundin and Nulden, 2007) participants in this study indicated that their workplace learning was sharp and immersive, more akin to “being flung in the deep end” [of a swimming pool] than gradually developing skill. Officers reported two reasons for this feeling of unpreparedness: lack of specific curriculum on rural policing, and professional development practices that were impacted by geographic isolation and inclement weather.…”

“…Campbell et al (2009) utilise CoP theory to examine the learning trajectory of police probationers in Australia. Drawing on qualitative critical case methodology, they argue that while a newcomer is unknown to the particular community, they enter as a person with experience in the world.…”

“…The workplace learning of emergency service professionals has attracted a great deal of interest from adult educators (Campbell et al , 2009; Harris et al , 2004; Lundin and Nulden, 2007; Taber et al , 2008). The work practices of police, paramedics and fire fighters are often unpredictable, requiring immediate and creative responses to crisis situations.…”

Conditions for Workplace Learning as a New First-Line Manager in Elderly Care

“…In difficult situations, a pep talk from a superior manager was seen as self-reinforcing encouragement to solve tasks independently, which boosted self-confidence. Overall, social support seemed to make it easier to find appropriate solutions to support managers' learning (Billett 2004;Evans et al 2006), form alliances with established managers (Fox 2000), and achieve a legitimate position in the workplace community (Campbell et al 2009;Gardiner 2016).…”

“…Access to learning is therefore also dependent on individual-related conditions such as age and gender, and dispositions (Evans et al 2006) or personal epistemologies (Billett 2009) describing each person's specific experiences, such as previous education, employment and professional knowledge. Individuals' dispositions can motivate what they do, what they strategically choose to engage in (Billett 2009), their own initiatives for learning (Akre and Ludvigsen 1997) and their use of learning invitations from experienced colleagues (Billett 2001(Billett , 2004Campbell et al 2009). Individuals' prior knowledge of a workplace's (material and cultural) history facilitates their understanding of the workplace (Campbell et al 2009), their willingness to participate in provided learning situations (Eberle et al 2014) and their learning of the professional language (Gardiner 2016).…”