Situating Learning
The significance of workplace learning for
a ‘learning society’
Karen Evans
University of London, Institute of Education
ESRC Learning Society Programme
A ‘learning society’ would be one in which all
citizens would:
“…acquire a high quality general education,
appropriate vocational training and a job (or series of
jobs) worthy of a human being while continuing to
participate in education and training throughout their
lives. A ‘learning society’ would combine excellence
with equity and would equip all its citizens with the
knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure
national economic prosperity and much more
besides…….
Cont/d….
The attraction of the term the ‘learning society’ lies
in the implicit promise not only of economic
development but of regeneration of our whole public
sphere. Citizens of a ‘learning society’ would, by
means of their continuing education and training, be
able to engage in critical dialogue and action to
improve the quality of life for the whole community
and to ensure social integration as well as economic
success.”
(Director Frank Coffield)
Workplace Learning
• Initial work-based learning
• work-based degrees and ‘foundation’
degrees
• non-formal work-based learning
• access to non-formal learning opportunities
organised through the workplace
Work-based training for young people in England and Wales
Numbers starting training programmes (thousands)
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
300
250
Other training
200
Foundation modern
apprenticeships
Advanced modern
apprenticeships
150
100
50
1996/97
1997/98
1998/99
1999/00
*formerly known as Modern Apprenticeships. ** Formerly known as National Traineeships
0
2000/01
Non-Formal Learning
Non-formal learning embraces unplanned
learning in work situations and in domains of
activity outside the formal economy, but may
also include planned and explicit approaches to
learning carried out in any of these environments
which are not recognised within the formal
education and training system.
T. L . R . P
Teaching & Learning
Research Programme
Research Network
Improving Incentives to Learning in the Workplace
Does ‘situating learning’ strengthen learning processes and
prospects of enhancing learning success through ‘engagement’?
Learning and Engagement
1. Engagement is essential for learning to take place
2. Learning may be situated in three ways:
- practically
- in culture of the workplace
- in the social world of the participants
3. Learning which is well-situated in each of these three ways will promote learner
engagement and learning success
4. Learning which is poorly situated in any of these three respects may lack
learner engagement and limit the prospects of learning success.
Improving incentives to learning at work:
the research network
• Two overarching themes linking five projects - situated
learning in the workplace and the ‘employment
relationship’
• The employment relationship under different regulatory
frameworks (Rainbird)
• The role of tacit skills in work re-entry(Evans)
• Key skills in older workers and new recruits (Unwin)
• Apprenticeship as a model of learning in contemporary
society(Senker)
• The school as a site of work-based learning for teachers
(Hodkinson)
Features
• Integration: practical issues, theoretical
concerns, multi-disciplinary perspectives on
related themes
• Practitioner involvement and support: the
role of the practitioner advisor and the
advisory group
• International links and dissemination
“Situated Learning”
Communities of practice
culture
Social practices
„Knowledge is situated,
being in part a product of
the activity, context and
culture in which it is
developed and used.”
(Brown et.al, 1989)
Communities of practice
activity
authentic
learning
knowledge
“the nature of knowledge is socially
embedded” (Lave, 1991).
Concepts
Meanings
Understandings, Beliefs
Values
Social framework I
Communities of practice
Socially- created networks across cultures
Social framework II
‘Situated Learning’ and ‘Communities of Practice’
‚Situated Learning‘ takes
account of social inter action and physical
activity.
Learning is embedded
in a cultural-social
context of everyday
activities.
‚Communities of Practice‘
- the idea that learning is
constituted through the
sharing of a purposeful
activity.
Learning always takes
place in relation to
people and their
contexts.
A supportive framework for
workplace learning
Concept of ‘situated
learning’
1) creates a supportive
framework for engagement
and learning.
2) provides a forum for
exchanging and sharing
experience, knowledge, ideas
and skills and for negotiating
understanding
Situated approaches
to learning
Enhances:
Awareness,
Meaning,
Understanding,
Becoming,
Commitment,
Reflection,
Consciousness,
Purpose,
Inspiration
Learning =
Social process of
interaction situated in
a ‘community of
social practice’
Concept of
‘communities of
practice’/
‘communities of
social practice’
 Based on social interaction.

 Acknowledges that skills, knowledge and understanding an individual develops are acquired in
(particular) settings, acknowledges the social
context in which learning takes place.
 Focus on and tries to understand the learning
process.
 Recognises strengths and potentials (not deficits)
of learners.
 Integrated and holistic approaches to learning.
 Creates the learning environment
 Strengthens the learning process.
 Offers direct, authentic experience.

Engagement
Offers:
Guidance,
Advice,
Support,
Motivation,
Encouragement,
Motivation,
Feedback,
Realities:
the employment relationship
• Intensification of work
• differential access to informal learning
opportunities and career progression
• ‘learning poor’ v ‘learning rich’
environments
• power relations between managers and
workers
• employee ‘voice’-heard or unheard
'Workers soon to demand pay for
what they have learned, no matter
where they have learned it…learning
that takes place away from the
classroom, during leisure time, in the
family or at work, is increasingly
seen as a resource that needs to be
more systematically used.
(CEDEFOP RELEASE,2001)
Non-Formal Learning
Non-formal learning embraces unplanned
learning in work situations and in domains of
activity outside the formal economy, but may
also include planned and explicit approaches to
learning carried out in any of these environments
which are not recognised within the formal
education and training system.
Types of Knowledge
Individual
Organisation Region
Know that
Shared
info/data bases
Shared
interpretation
Shared
practices
Networks
Know why
Know how
Know who
Institutions
Culture
Communities
Networks
Concepts and relationships: tacit skills, knowledge and the work process
Concept of
“working knowledge”
(Klusterer, 1978)
Concept of
“knowledge in action”
(SchÖn, 1983)
Polanyi:
The tacit
dimension
Ryle: The
Intellectualist
Legend
Work Process Knowledge
Situated Learning:
communities of practice
(Lave & Wenger)
Tacit skills and
HRD
Activity Theory
(Engestrom)
Modes of cognition
(Eraut, 1999)
“indwelling”
Concepts of competence
and qualification
Concept of
knowing
(Dewey, 1920)
Tacit Skills
“Life-world becoming”
(Barnett, 1994)
Affective, social, personal factors
Social shaping of work + technology
(Heidegger, 1997)
“developmental
competence”
(Ellstroem, 1997)
Adapted from : Tacit-Key Projects UK
Director: Karen Evans
Researcher: Bettina Hoffmann
Learning environments
Table 1: Mayer competencies: activities performed ‘most of the time’ by work
category
‘Unskilled’
(%)
Non-trade skilled (%)
Trade
(%)
Professional
(%)
51
64
55
75
32
57
48
58
34
55
52
83
81
78
73
50
20
29
23
33
#Using technology
39
49
53
42
52
44
75
58
#Routine tasks
81
69
57
42
#Collecting, analysing and
organising information
#Expressing ideas and
information
#Planning and organising
activities
#Working with others and in
teams
#Using mathematical ideas
and techniques
#Solving problems
"Starfish-model"
Work content/subject matter related competencies
Learning competencies
Competencies related to
values and attitudes
Methodological competencies
Social competencies
CASE STUDIES OF PARTICIPANTS IN CVT – JOB CHANGE PROGRAMMES
Advancement oriented, work centred attitude
- predominantly males, ‘labour fore entrepreneur’ frequent job moves geared to advancement;
high awareness of key competencies & know-how.
Precarious occupational biography in low graded jobs
predominantly males; awareness of social competencies for adapting to new work situations;
little confidence in ability to draw on other experiences or skills in new work situations, or
recognition of their relevance.
Return to general job market after occupational break for personal (family reasons)
predominantly stability-oriented females; awareness of key competencies gained outside work
but knowledge that these are seen as equipping for helping/caring or low graded jobs
(‘women’s work’)
for males, awareness of key competencies but these are seen as irrelevant for work re-entry: ‘in
a different dimension’
Aiming for self employment
both males and females; high awareness of key competencies, used with confidence to pursue
chosen business opportunities – does not rely on accreditation by others
Resuming high skilled professional career after career break
•
focus on regaining lost technical skills and updating them – importance of key competencies
gained outside work. Valued retrospectively, but irrelevant to work re-entry process.
 60 per cent of adults had not engaged in any formal or informal learning activity
outside work in the previous three years (NIACE 1996).
 The highest participation rates were amongst the younger adult cohorts and the
higher socio-economic groups and lowest amongst older adults ,unemployed and
lower skilled occupational categories (McGivney, 1997:129-130).
 The distribution of resources for learning at work is also skewed towards those who
have already benefited from an extended period of formal education.
 Training opportunities are positively associated large workplaces; those which
recognise trade unions; public rather than the private sector; and holders of
Investors in People award. Nevertheless, the greatest differences in access to training
provision are across occupational groups.
 Less than half of craft workers, operative and assembly workers and those in
routine, unskilled jobs had received any training in the previous year.
 Part-time workers received less training than full-timers in all occupations.
 There was ‘a clear bias’ in favour of younger workers as against older workers
(Cully et al., 1999:149).
 Higher control and learning dispositions among young workers (including those on
most casualised contracts), but also stress and awareness of negative effects of
markets (Evans 2001)
Barriers to learning
Barriers of time , money or
encouragement reported by low paid workers
• 30% reported no barriers
• 17% one barrier
• 17% two
• 34% all three barriers
(Rainbird 2001, sample 300)