This research programme focuses on how new sustainability practices are learned in workplaces. It also focuses on workplace learning systems that enable or constrain such learning. Examples include how farmers learn new sustainable agricultural practices, how local government officials learn new practices of waste management or sustainable development service delivery and how big industry learns to become more energy efficient.

Theories of social learning, agency, complexity, systems, critical realism and critical social change, all help researchers examine learning and move towards sustainability in workplaces and workplace learning systems. Social learning in workplaces can be collective learning in communities of practice or multi-levelled institutional learning. To be transformative, such learning needs to be critically constituted and engaged with at the level of organisational change. It involves democratisation of learning and practice, the deliberation and adoption of new work ethics and learning how to develop and work within new systems of production and consumption. This affects the production and consumption value chain, and leads to wider circles of learning in workplace learning activity system networks.

For information on studies in progress, completed studies, research partners, and information on how to link up with, or participate in this research programme, email elrc@ru.ac.za

Last Modified: Fri, 02 Nov 2018 10:45:07 SAST