The approach we explored in our project was based upon Action Learning. Action Learning is an approach to empowering the individual to address problems or issues that have arisen in their professional experience that was developed by Reg Revans and has been widely adopted by a range of organisations for a range of purposes. The action learning approach:
“…is a means of development, intellectual, emotional or physical that requires its subjects, through responsible involvement in some real, complex and stressful problem, to achieve intended change to improve their observable behaviour henceforth in the problem field.”(Revans 1982: 626–7)
It involves the individual in engaging in small group focussed, structured reflection. Some of the characteristics of Action Learning includes:
- a real problem that is important, critical, and usually complex;
- a diverse problem-solving team or “set”;
- a process that promotes curiosity, inquiry, and reflection;
- a requirement that talk be converted into action and, ultimately, a solution, and a commitment to learning.
Our project had three stages:
- The facilitation of Action Learning sets designed to support tutors from the PGCE Programme Team at Goldsmiths;
- To train staff in how to facilitate Action Learning sets to support others they work with;
- To broaden the learning arising from the Action Learning Sets to students, mentors within our partnership schools and the wider community within Goldsmiths.
The approach, as we interpreted it, initially fell within the “experiential school” that has learning at its heart and draws on Kolb’s (1984) learning cycle as its theoretical base. This means that the starting point for learning is action with members of the learning set reflecting upon experience with the support of others, followed by further action, in order to change previous patterns. The overall goal of the Action Learning set is not to give advice but rather to question, with the aim of empowering the individual to generate their own solutions to the problem they have brought with them.
Revans, R. (1982) The Origin and Growth of Action Learning. Chartwell Bratt, Bromley.
Alison and Liz will be leading a Lunchtime Conversation on the topic, as part of the season of talk in the Autumn Term, 2018. Further details in the Staff Learning Hub.