CONSTRUCTING LEARNING IN THE WORKPLACE

DR CHARLOTTE RAMAGESCHOOL OF NURSING & MIDWIFERY, BRIGHTON UNIVERSITY

Pedagogic Research Conference: Friday 22nd January 2010

Introduction

CLT funded Teaching Fellowship award

Interest in – ‘How’ people learn in the workplace. What are the factors that facilitate and hinder the process of learning through work?

Descriptive, qualitative study involving indepth interviewing using analytical techniques of grounded theory for analysis. This led to the generation of categories' and an emergent core category ‘Constructing learning in the workplace’ and embedded in this category is a social process ‘becoming an intentional learner’.

Sample = 8 nurses, disparate backgrounds – bands 5-7, newly qualified acute hospital and community nurses, senior nurses and clinical specialists.

Constructing learning in

the workplace

Impact of work on the construction of learning

Constructing practice

knowledge

Constructing new ways of

being

Becoming an intentional learner•Expectations of WBL•Identifying the learning•Searching for the knowledge•Setting up the learning experience•Realising the learning

Aiding factors•Mentor qualities•Learner characteristics•Educational strategies

Constructing learning in the workplace, through work-based learning – core category

‘Becoming an intentional learner’ – social process

Expectations of the learner Identifying the learning Searching for the knowledge Setting up the learning experience Realising the learning

Expectations of the learning

Prior understanding of the learning processes involved in WBL

Career enhancement Personal construct of learning

Expectations of the learning

Prior understanding of the learning processes involved in WBL

Learning processesFlexibility

Flexibility

Flexible timelines for completion fit unpredictable lives Learning needs

Determining own content relevant knowledge and skills for effective role

performance problems identified with generic content that reflects

discourses of inter-professional learning and economic imperatives of mass higher education

Flexible learning versus education (Garrick and Usher 2000)

Expectations of the learning

Career enhancement – construct new ways of being To develop professional competence and confidence To set up new roles Realise roles in practice To assist in career decisions

These areas reflect construct theory, (Vygotsk, Ratner) social learning theory(Mead, Billet, Lave and Wenger) and social activity theory (Engström) as learners constructed new identities and ways of working in a community of practice.

Expectations of the learning

Personal construct of learning“I am not an academic”Qualities/ characteristics required of

the work-based learner

Learner qualities / characteristics Self determined Motivated Organised Flexible Self directed Self disciplined Interpersonal competence Reflexive – critical questioning of self

and others

Constructing learning in the workplace

Identifying the learning Contract learning Owning the learning Engaging in meaningful learning

Identifying the learning

Contract learning

Learners had difficulty identifying what they wanted / needed to learn. Learnt dependence on authority – (Friere 1972,

Knowles 1975 , McAuliffe and Strand 1994) Teachers and mentors found it challenging to ‘not take

over’ (Ramage 2006) Learners needed a teacher and or mentor role to

develop their internal source of decision making about what is right and desirable (McAuliffe and Strand 1994) and to develop confidence in their own capacity to manage and direct learning (Friere 1972, Rogers 1983).

Cont...

Cont....

Needed support throughout whole process of learning, not just in setting up“It’s ongoing and that is something that is not supported”

Newly qualified nurses found it particularly hard to identify learning

“I didn’t know what I wanted to get out of it really or where I was going to be in 18months”

Once established learner more aware of learning potential in the workplace and more proactive in identifying learning needs (Lave and Wenger 1991)

Identifying the learning

Owning the learning highly motivating (O’Toole 1979) self determination to overcome adverse learning

conditions organisation assisting learner in identifying learning

needs enabled learning to view learning as contributing in valuable ways to the organisation (Lave and Wenger 1991)

Flexibility of WBL seen as a positive ‘I learn what I want to learn’ –alternative discourse on flexible learning: organisational versus individual learning (Munro 2004).

Identifying the learning

Engaging in meaningful learning Designing own learning enabled learners to engage

in meaningful learning. Intentional designing of challenging learning –

facilitated deep learning – more likely to be stored and assimilated into repertoire of coping strategies (Mikkleson et al 1999)

Constructing learning in the workplace

Searching for the knowledge

It’s down to me Identifying the resources Making decisions about accessing the ‘right’

knowledge

Searching for the knowledge

“It’s down to me” – initial learners appeared to be waiting for someone to come and explain what they needed to do - moving on from a dualistic thinking, passive model of learning

“I think at the beginning you are expecting the mentor to come up with the answers and a lot of the material. You know, where can you get that material? “ L3

..”That was when the penny dropped – no one is coming. I have to do this myself. Once it actually clicked I was motoring away and I really enjoyed it and it made me pull out the literature myself rather than having been given it. I would look for the theory behind the practical thing I was doing”. L8

Searching for the knowledge

Identifying the resources problematic due to dualistic thinking - learner

used to concept of expert as source of knowledge and an individual mode of learning involving individual interpretation of text

Cont..

Workplace knowledge is socially constructed (Hager, Lave and Wenger)- requiring interpersonal skills, negotiation skills, reflexivity, collaborative working practices as key to accessing and creating knowledge (Eraut 2004). Social learning requires active engagement (Gherardi et al 1998)

“I’ll look in the library and get background information...the cardiographers that come to the ward I’m going to spend a morning with them as well because they know all about paper speeds and all sorts of things like that. I know somebody who works on X ward [ cardiac ward]so she is going to help me with the ECG’s. Then I will see if there is any ‘in house’ training and it will depend on when it is and if I can fit it in.” L1

Searching for the knowledge

Making decisions about accessing the ‘right’ knowledge The learner was making value judgements about what

kind of knowledge is worth knowing, the right academic level, they found the lack of theoretical discourse in the workplace problematic (Eraut 2005)

The learner became aware of contradictions creates disturbance that leads to change and development (social activity theory - Engström 2004)

through the process of exploration the poly contextuality of practice knowledge developed (Engström et al 1995)

Watching, being present, doing, being involved

Reading of, text, online resources, journals,

protocols

Becoming aware of gaps in the coded knowledge –

read moreBecome aware of

contradictions in and between text and practice and practice colleagues

Questioning observed practice, own practice, the

text, and engaging in a dialogue about practice with

colleaguesDiscovering essential

principles

Seeking out , observing and questioning differing

perspectives, by crossing boundaries professionally

and organisationally – filling in the gaps

Confident in ability to defend new knowledge and skill.

Willingness to articulate and demonstrate knowledge and

skill to others

Theorising

Construction of new way of working that

is cognisant of the view of the other

Constructing knowledge

through work using WBL

Assimilation

Transformation

Testing / experimentation

Questioning

Experiencing

Articulation

Ramage, C. Dec/ 2009 Exploring

difference

Sourcing coded knowledge

Sourcing ‘expert’ knowledge

Using own and local knowledge

Constructing learning in the workplace

Setting up the learning experience

Constructing the learning space Negotiating learning opportunities Planning for feedback

Setting up the learning experience

Constructing the learning space – Need to construct own learning space (Friere)

lack of time created tension re the decision to learn or work. Learning often done in own time - Charity paradigm (Munro ),

organisational sabotage , pressures and constraints of the system that emphasise the need for efficiency, effectiveness and economy, staffing shortages, time pressures that erode professionals compassion and lead to rules one of which is ‘no shirking ‘(Maben et al)

Cont….

Setting up the learning experience how power is exercised determines access to the learning

opportunities and decision-making ability (Lave and Wenger, Billet),

“...It’s the grey area where nurses are trying to develop their roles. It’s partly the doctors wanting to keep control of things and not wanting to invest the time and support in supporting the nurses to develop in a way I think we should be..”L5

“One of my skills was management in a day surgical unit. I told my manager I wanted to do it. My mentor agreed that was absolutely fine and the manager actually said she wouldn’t be happy to sign it off because I wasn’t a manager, even when I tried to put it across that yes, I wasn’t a manager or a matron but I was involved in management in that area.” L6

Setting up the learning experience

Planning for feedback – constrained by time, required self determination, motivation and organisational and negotiation skill

“[What did you find most challenging about the process?} I would say finding time on the ward with the Mentor because where I work you actually have a nurse per bay so if my Mentor did observe me it would mean her coming out of her bay and finding a time that was good for her and then observing me, and it might be one or a few times and then also taking that time away together to then assess me on the knowledge and other things as well”. L1

“..we had to completely book the times that we were going to do it. It had to be completely set. It had to be very structured because we weren't working together and obviously that sort of thing we had to get other staff members to cover the varying areas we were working at in order to do the skills together”. L6

Cont….

Access to feedback problematic due to organisational constraints

Those in specialist areas of practice benefitted from close mentor working relationships, cultural value embedded in the learning / education involved in ‘becoming’ a specialist

Constructing learning in the workplace

Realising the learning

Believing in the approach Sharing the practice knowledge Evidencing the learning for accreditation

Realising the learning

Believing in the approach had to be experienced to be understood

“I think for me anyway you don’t fully understand what's going on until

the module is nearly finished”. L3

“I'm quite proud of where I've come and how much I know, but you don't

know that at the beginning “L6

Awareness of learning could be triggered by an event – knowing about their knowing

“What was really interesting was that I went on a study day during the week and these people were presenting these things and I thought they were coming out with all this terminology to do with projects and Gant charts and I thought I know all about that now.” L3

Realising the learning

Increased confidence – this led to more active engagement of the self in work and confidence to share / articulate own knowledge to others.

“I have become more aware. Even doing assessments now I ask more specific questions. I ask questions that I probably wouldn't have thought about before doing an assessment and just be more aware and I feel now if a student comes and asks me something I feel actually quite confident to answer them and know that I am giving the correct information. I just feel quite good and confident about it”. L1

Realising the learning

Evidencing the learning Difficulties associated with evidencing learning for accreditation

Skills Reflective learning – Zemblyas (2006) Oppressive potential

of reflective writing as a form of surveillance

Those who completed found he experience illuminating, energising, validated their professional identity and realisation of learning

“Yes. I did find by the end of it, it was like Ahh I have learnt all this! And it wasn't until I put all the folder together that I realised how much I had actually put in there, and how much I had gained from it and it certainly gave me confidence within the workplace and able to teach others as well “L8

Questions

How can workplaces support communities of learning?

How can university based education facilitate students/ learners transferring knowledge from the university to the workplace?

In what ways can the workplace support the construction of practice knowledge?

Is it the responsibility of the organisation / workplace to support the individual aspirational learning of its workforce?