Ulrik Brandi

An Organisational Perspective on Professionals’ Learning

The purpose and contribution of our chapter is to provide a vision for professionals’ learning in light of the field of organisational learning, and through this lens to incorporate various understandings of the organisational dynamics that professionals work and learn in and through. Inspired by some of the founding fathers of the field of organisational learning, Chris Argyris and Donald Schon (1978, 1996: 3), we ask: “What is an organisation that professionals may learn?” We answer this question by introducing three understandings of organisations and the learning theories that they are connected with. These are respectively a behavioural, a cognitive and a practice-based perspective on organisational learning. We propose that these lenses on organisations and learning may help us see professionals’ learning as contextualised in both their work practices and their places of work, i.e. organisations.

Enabling professionals to change practices aimed at tackling social inequality through professional development: results from a case study

ABSTRACT Research has shown the potential for early childhood education and care (ECEC) in making a difference for all children. However, research also highlights how hard overcoming the ‘gaps’ between children from differing social backgrounds still is. The overall aim of this article is to examine the impact of a professional development programme on changing practices that can address social inequality in ECEC. The article explores how a professional development programme, VIDA, can contribute to enabling professionals in enhancing the change potentials in ECEC, with a view to enhancing the learning conditions and well-being of all children, and socially disadvantaged children in particular. The overall argument is that co-construction as well as openness and reflection in the ECEC field is needed when professionals are to change their pedagogical practices towards tackling the issues of social inequality. The study emphasises that practices are enhanced through professional development that makes sense for participants, is organised in communities of practices (CoP) and communities of innovation (CoI), and is facilitated and integrated in entire ECEC systems.

Learning strategies for competence development in enterprises

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine learning strategies for competence development at the enterprise level, and how these can be actualised in practice. The authors focus on three influential aspects, namely: the highest valued employee skills, main triggers for learning and investment in learning, as well as the most successful types of learning. Design/methodology/approach The empirical research was designed according to abductive reasoning. The data draw on research we undertook between 2013 and 2015, including semi-structured interviews with management, human resources and union representatives, as well as questionnaire responses from a total of 31 EU and 163 EU-competitors, across 53 industries and 22 countries. Findings Competence development requires flexible, learner-centred strategies for initiatives that respond to immediate business needs. Additionally, despite soft competences being so highly valued and sought after, investment (financial and other) by enterprises in developing them is low, relative to the investments poured into hard competences. Also, there is a clear employee demand gap for learning that develops soft competences. Originality/value Findings and recommendations are based on a large-scale empirical study, providing state-of-the-art knowledge, upon which we can renew our current learning strategies in workplaces.