Connecting formal and informal workplace learning with teacher proactivity: a proactive motivation perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 437-456
Author(s):  
Xianhan Huang ◽  
Chun Lai
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Teacher Learning ◽  
Educational Change ◽  
Workplace Learning ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Formal And Informal Learning

Purpose It is vital in today’s society that teachers are proactively involved in educational change. Given that proactive motivation is a critical driver of proactivity, this study aims to investigate how teachers’ formal and informal workplace-learning experiences were connected with their proactive motivations to implement educational change. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a qualitative case study approach to describe the relationships between teachers’ formal and informal learning activities and their different proactive motivations. The authors collected data from 17 teachers via individual interviews and open-ended questionnaire and performed analyses using a continuous inductive and deductive coding process. Findings The authors found that informal teacher learning can trigger three types of proactive motivation, whereas formal teacher learning is mainly connected with the can do and energised to motivations. The authors also found that formal and informal learning complement and compete with each other in shaping the can do motivation. Moreover, the authors found that informal learning played the dominant role in the reason to motivation, whereas informal and formal learning were separately connected to the energised to motivation. Practical implications These findings indicate that greater attention must be paid to teachers’ informal workplace-learning experiences. Specifically, teachers’ informal learning experiences should be actively integrated into their formal workplace training to enhance their proactive motivation to educational change. Moreover, teachers’ learning preferences and teaching experience should be considered in the design of teacher-training programmes. Originality/value Based on the proactive motivation model of Parker et al. (2010), the authors have uncovered the mechanisms of workplace learning that drive teacher proactivity. The authors have examined the relationship between teachers’ formal and informal workplace-learning and proactive teaching. The findings will assist policymakers and administrators to identify effective means of motivating teachers to engage in workplace learning.

A hybrid approach to sustainable development competencies: the role of formal, informal and non-formal learning experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Cristina Ferreira Caldana ◽  
João Henrique Paulino Pires Eustachio ◽  
Bárbara Lespinasse Sampaio ◽  
Maria Luiza Gianotto ◽  
Aurora Contiero Talarico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Business School ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Formal Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Formal And Informal Learning

Purpose This paper aims to explore whether formal, non-formal, and informal learning experiences contribute to developing sustainable development competencies (SDCs) among students in a Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) signatory business school. Design/methodology/approach An online survey based on the students’ learning experiences and a questionnaire on sustainability competencies already validated in the literature were given to a sample of 274 bachelor students at a PRME signatory business school. Nominal variables representing students’ categories were created to test a set of hypotheses developed according to the literature. Because the data was not normally distributed, non-parametric independent-samples Mann–Whitney U test was conducted, and descriptive statistics was used to help the analysis. Findings The results suggest that a hybrid format with a combination of formal, non-formal and informal learning experiences is essential to maximising the development of SDCs and raising students’ sustainability literacy. Research limitations/implications This study is one of the first attempts to understand the importance of a hybrid approach in developing sustainable competencies (SDCs). Future studies could adopt longitudinal analysis to check the development of these competencies over time, assess students from different PRME signatory schools or comparing students to those in non-signatory business schools. Practical implications This study provides insight into how business schools could address challenges in developing sustainable competencies through redirecting their educational systems by balancing formal, informal and non-formal learning approaches to educate future responsible leaders. Originality/value This research provides evidence on how a hybrid learning approach could maximise the development of sustainable development competencies and, therefore, generating insights for educational policies.

Firm size and workplace learning processes: a study of the restaurant sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 305-320
Author(s):  
Daniel Bishop
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Workplace Learning ◽  
Firm Size ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Learning ◽  
Individual Choice ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper asks how workplace learning environments change as firm size increases, and how employees respond to this. In doing so, it looks beyond an exclusive focus on formal training and incorporates more informal, work-based learning processes. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a comparative, qualitative research design, using semi-structured interviews with an under-researched group of workers – waiting for staff in restaurants. The data were collected from six restaurants of different sizes. Findings As formally instituted human resource development (HRD) structures expand as firm size increases are more extensive in larger firms, this leaves less room for individual choice and agency in shaping the learning process. This does not inevitably constrain or enhance workplace learning, and can be experienced either negatively or positively by employees, depending on their previous working and learning experiences. Research limitations/implications Future research on HRD and workplace learning should acknowledge both formal and informal learning processes and the interaction between them – particularly in small and growing firms. Insights are drawn from the sociomaterial perspective help the authors to conceptualise this formality and informality. Research is needed in a wider range of sectors. Practical implications There are implications for managers in small, growing firms, in terms of how they maintain space for informal learning as formal HRD structures expand, and how they support learners who may struggle in less structured learning environments. Originality/value The paper extends current understanding of how the workplace learning environment – beyond a narrow focus on “training” – changes as firm size increases.

scholarly journals Someone Like Us: Trades identities and support for work/learning

2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-34
Author(s):  
Chris Holland
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Learning Support ◽  
Family Status ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Formal And Informal Learning ◽  
Emerging Themes ◽  
Language Literacy ◽  
Vocational Learning ◽  
Learning Connections

This paper reflects on specific findings from a 2009 study of on and off-job learning that explored apprentices’ learning experiences, formal and informal learning connections, and implications for language, literacy and numeracy in vocational learning. The study was conducted in the glazing industry in New Zealandi, and as part of that study, apprentice profiles were developed. This discussion focuses on three of those profiles and reflects on two emerging themes. The first theme is employer and apprentice perceptions of the value of apprentices coming from a ‘trades family’. The second theme is the range of inclusions and exclusions, advantages and disadvantages that apprentices experience depending on their ‘trades family’ status in both on and off-job learning. The paper then considers what kind of learning support might help integrate the different identities required within an apprenticeship.

scholarly journals Learning opportunities in rheumatology practice: a qualitative study

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 282-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margit Saskia Neher ◽  
Christian Ståhl ◽  
Per Nilsen
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Workplace Learning ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Work Processes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rheumatology Practice

Purpose – This paper aims to explore what opportunities for learning practitioners in rheumatology perceive of in their daily practice, using a typology of workplace learning to categorize these opportunities. Design/methodology/approach – Thirty-six practitioners from different professions in rheumatology were interviewed. Data were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis with a directed approach, and were categorized according to a typology of formal and informal learning. Findings – The typology was adjusted to fit the categories resulting from the analysis. Further analysis showed that work processes with learning as a by-product in general, and relationships with other people in the workplace in particular, were perceived as important for learning in the workplace. The use of many recognized learning opportunities was lower. Barriers for learning were a perceived low leadership awareness of learning opportunities and factors relating to workload and the organization of work. Research limitations/implications – The generalizability of results from all qualitative inquiries is limited by nature, and the issue of transferability to other contexts is for the reader to decide. Further studies will need to confirm the results of the study, as well as the proposed enhancement of the typology with which the results were categorized. Practical implications – The study highlights the importance of relationships in the workplace for informal learning in rheumatology practice. In the clinical context, locally adapted strategies at organizational and individual levels are needed to maximize opportunities for both professional and interprofessional informal learning, taking the importance of personal relationships into account. The findings also suggest a need for increased continuing professional education in the specialty. Originality/value – The workplace learning typology that was used in the study showed good applicability to empirical health-care study data, but may need further development. The study confirmed that informal workplace learning is an important part of learning in rheumatology. Further studies are needed to clarify how informal and formal learning in the rheumatology clinic may be supported in workplaces with different characteristics.

Increasing learning effectiveness in an SME context

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 35-37
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Approach To Learning ◽  
Formal And Informal Learning ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
The Right ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Finding an approach to learning that meets their requirements remains a challenge for SMEs. An appropriate blend of formal and informal learning aspects offers some encouragement and problem-based learning has the potential to tick the right boxes in this respect. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Language and Experience Influence Children's Biological Induction

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 171-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florencia Anggoro ◽  
Sandra Waxman ◽  
Douglas Medin
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Biologically Relevant ◽  
Formal And Informal Learning ◽  
Biological Concepts ◽  
The Way ◽  
Naming Practices

AbstractChildren's reasoning about biological concepts is influenced not only by their experiences in the natural world and in their classrooms, but also by the way that these concepts are named. In English, 'animal' can refer either to (a) exclusively non-human animals, or (b) all animate beings (human and non-human animals). In Indonesian, this category of animate beings has no dedicated name. Here, we ask whether this difference in naming has consequences for children's reasoning about humans and non-human animals. Results from English- and Indonesian-speaking children reveals differences in reasoning at age 6, differences that become attenuated by age 9. These results suggest that not only naming practices, but also biologically-relevant formal and informal learning experiences, influence children's reasoning about biological concepts.

scholarly journals Learning to learn differently

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trude Høgvold Olsen ◽  
Tone Glad ◽  
Cathrine Filstad
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Community Health Care ◽  
Learning To Learn ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Patterns ◽  
Formal And Informal Learning ◽  
Experienced Nurse

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether the formal and informal learning patterns of community health-care nurses changed in the wake of a reform that altered their work by introducing new patient groups, and to explore whether conditions in the new workplaces facilitated or impeded shifts in learning patterns. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through interviews with experienced nurses in community health care to learn whether and how they changed their learning patterns and the challenges they experienced in establishing new work practices. Findings In established learning patterns among nurses, the most experienced nurse passes on the knowledge to novices. These knowledge boundaries were challenged and they created new contexts and tasks calling for more cross-disciplinary cooperation. The informants acknowledged the need for formal and informal learning activities to change their learning pattern in addressing new knowledge challenges. Structural and cultural factors in community health care impeded changes in individual and collective learning patterns. Research limitations/implications This paper reports a single case study. Further study is needed on how changes in structural and contextual conditions challenge the established formal and informal learning patterns. Practical implications It is crucial that managers facilitate the development of new routines, structures and cultures to support individual initiatives and the growth of necessary changes in established practice to implement a new reform. Originality/value This study’s contribution to the literature primarily concerns how changes in structural conditions challenge formal and informal learning patterns, and the structural and cultural conditions for these learning patterns.

The impact of the Greek economic recession on workplace learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 345-358
Author(s):  
Stavros Papakonstantinidis
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Workplace Learning ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Economic Recovery ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The paper aims to examine the impact of the Greek economic recession on workplace learning. Specifically, it surveys the views of Greek business professionals regarding whether workplace learning could be used as a competitive advantage in achieving business success. Design/methodology/approach The paper follows a qualitative research method and discusses the findings of semi-structured interviews with professionals in various industries in Greece. Findings This study provides evidence of an overall reluctance to adopt formal learning strategies. Although hiring and retaining the best talent at work is seen as a competitive advantage, Greek professionals do not attribute success to formal workplace learning. Instead, digitalization of informal learning becomes essential for acquiring new knowledge. Social implications In the first few years of Greece’s economic recovery, companies aim to keep their budgets low in anything that seems luxurious and ultimately unnecessary. The paper discusses some implications of the implementation of digitalized informal learning in business. Originality/value This study is the first to explore how Greek professionals from various business sectors and managerial levels view workplace learning during the initial years of the country’s economic recovery.

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