Workplace participatory practices

Abstract

Arguing against a concept of learning as only a formal process occurring in explicitly educational settings like schools, the paper proposes a conception of the workplace as a learning environment focusing on the interaction between the affordances and constraints of the social setting, on the one hand, and the agency and biography of the individual participant, on the other. Workplaces impose certain expectations and norms in the interest of their own continuity and survival, and in the interest of certain participants; but learners also choose to act in certain ways dependent on their own preferences and goals. Thus, the workplace as a learning environment must be understood as a complex negotiation about knowledge-use, roles and processesessentially as a question of the learner's participation in situated work activities. Workplaces as learning spacesThis paper discusses workplaces as learning environments emphasizing workplace participatory practices as conceptual foundations. These practices comprise the kinds of activities and interactions workplaces afford learners, on one hand, and how individuals elect to participate in workplace activities and interactions, on the other. Underpinning both workplace affordances and individuals' participation are the associated concepts of intentionality and continuity. Workplaces intentionally regulate individuals' participation; it is not ad hoc, unstructured or informal (Hodkinson and Bloomer, 2002). This regulation is a product of cultural practices, social norms, workplace affiliations, cliques and demarcations. Those who control the processes and division of labour, including interests and affiliations within the workplace, regulate participation to maintain the continuity of the workplace through regulatory practices (Grey, 1994). Similarly, individuals will engage in ways that best serve their purposes, such as assisting their career trajectory (Bloomer and Hodkinson, 2000), securing opportunities, or even locating easy work options. There is no separation between engagement in thinking and acting at work, and learning (Lave, 1990(Lave, , 1993Rogoff, 1990Rogoff, , 1995. Therefore, the kinds of opportunities the workplace affords individuals in terms of the activities they engage in and interactions with others, and how individuals elect to engage are salient to their learning through participation in the workplace.Commencing by arguing for fresh appraisals of workplaces as learning environments, the paper challenges some current assumptions about workplaces as learning environments. Then, through a consideration of workplaces as historically, culturally, and situationally-shaped environments in which individuals elect to engage in particular ways, workplace participatory practices are advanced as premises for understanding and organising learning through work. Central here are the relational

How Nurses Experience Their Work as a Learning Environment

“…Viewing participation and learning as dual and reciprocal processes in which individuals exercise their agency, Billett (2001bBillett ( , 2004a highlights a need for greater insight into the processes of continuous learning throughout individuals' working lives. His theory of relational interdependence between the intentional actions of individuals and workplace practices builds on the concept that both the agency of individuals and the social environment have particular influences on worker learning.…”

“…According to Billett (2008), learning is the process in and through which workers interact with the social experience that they encounter in their workplace. Referencing socio-cultural perspectives on learning (Lave and Wenger 1991;Rogoff 1995), he states that there is no separation between thinking and acting at work, and learning (Billett 2004a(Billett , b, 2008. However, what is learned from engaging in social practices is not wholly determined by the practices themselves.…”

Competence and Professional Expertise

“…Personal characteristics are also essential in this regard (Billett 2004;Kyndt and Baert 2013;Tynjälä 2008). While organisational conditions set the context and conditions for learning, it is a reciprocal interaction between the individual and the workplace or organisation that determines learning (Billett 2004;Tynjälä 2008). For example, a positive attitude towards learning and self-efficacy (Kyndt and Baert 2013), the latter defined as the confidence in one's capability to activate resources to meet situational demands (Bandura 1977), are crucial determinants for professional development to take place.…”

“…For example, at the macro level (the likelihood of losing one's job, support from outside the workplace), characteristics of the learning activity itself, and socio-demographic characteristics (like initial level of education) (Kyndt and Baert 2013). Personal characteristics are also essential in this regard (Billett 2004;Kyndt and Baert 2013;Tynjälä 2008). While organisational conditions set the context and conditions for learning, it is a reciprocal interaction between the individual and the workplace or organisation that determines learning (Billett 2004;Tynjälä 2008).…”

“…With regard to mentoring, interaction between novices and experts is crucial for learning at work. In the process of mentoring, one can distinguish between direct or close guidance and indirect guidance (Billett 2004). This kind of guidance is relevant to obtain knowledge that would be hard to learn without the support or assistance of a more knowledgeable and experienced partner.…”