Can expansive (social) learning processes strengthen organisational learning for improved wetland management in a plantation forestry company, and if so how? : a case study of Mondi
- Authors: Lindley, David Stewart
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Mondi Group , Wetland management -- South Africa , Wetland conservation -- Study and teaching (Continuing education) , Employees -- Training of -- South Africa , Action theory , Critical realism , Social learning , Environmental education -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2003 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015661
- Description: Mondi is an international packaging and paper company that manages over 300 000 ha of land in South Africa. After over a decade of working with Mondi to improve its wetland management, wetland sustainability practices were still not integrated into the broader forestry operations, despite some significant cases of successful wetland rehabilitation. An interventionist research project was therefore conducted to explore the factors inhibiting improved wetland management, and determine if and how expansive social learning processes could strengthen organisational learning and development to overcome these factors. In doing so, the research has investigated how informal adult learning supports organisational change to strengthen wetland and environmental sustainability practices, within a corporate plantation forestry context. How individual and/or group-based learning interactions translate to the collective, at the level of organisational change was a key issue probed in this study. The following three research questions were used to guide the research: 1. What tensions and contradictions exist in wetland management in a plantation forestry company? 2. Can expansive learning begin to address the tensions and contradictions that exist in wetland management in a plantation forestry company, for improved sustainability practices? 3. Can expansive social learning strengthen organisational learning and development, enabling Mondi to improve its wetland sustainability practices, and if so how does it do this? Cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) and the theory of expansive learning provided an epistemological framework for the research. The philosophy of critical realism gave ontological depth to the research, and contributed to a deeper understanding of CHAT and expansive learning. Critical realism was therefore used as a philosophy to underlabour the theoretical framework of the research. However CHAT and expansive learning could not provide the depth of detail required to explain how the expansive learning, organisational social change, and boundary crossings that are necessary for assembling the collective were taking place. Realist social theory (developed out of critical realism by Margaret Archer as an ontologically located theory of how and why social change occurs, or does not) supported the research to do this. The morphogenetic framework was used as a methodology for applying realist social theory. The expansive learning cycle was used as a methodology for applying CHAT and the theory of expansive learning; guiding the development of new knowledge creation required by Mondi staff to identify contradictions and associated tensions inhibiting wetland management, understand their root causes, and develop solutions. Through the expansive learning process, the tensions and contradictions become generative as a tool supporting expansive social learning, rather than as a means to an end where universal consensus was reached on how to circumvent the contradictions. The research was conducted in five phases: • Phase 1: Contextual profiling to identify and describe three activity systems in Mondi responsible for wetland management: 1) siviculture foresters; 2) environmental specialists; 3) community engagement facilitators. The data was generated and analysed through through document analysis, 17 interviews, 2nd generation CHAT analysis, and Critical Realist generative mechanism analysis; • Phase 2: Analysis and identification of tensions and contradictions through a first interventionist workshop. Modelling new solutions to deal with contractions, and examining and testing new models in and after the second interventionist workshop; • Phase 3: Implementing new models as wetland management projects and involved project implementation. This included boundary crossing practices of staff in the three activity systems, reflection and re-view in a further five progress review/interventionist workshops, and a management meeting and seminar; • Phase 4: Reflecting on the expansive learning process, results, and consolidation of changed practices, through nine reflective interviews and field observations; • Phase 5: Morphogenic/stasis analysis of the organisational change and development catalysed via the expansive social learning process (or not). The research found that expansive social learning processes supported organisational learning and development for improved wetland management by: 1) strengthening the scope, depth, and sophistication of participant understanding; 2) expanding the ways staff interact and collaboratively work together; 3) democratising decision making; 4) improving social relations between staff, reducing power differentials, and creating stronger relationships; 5) enhancing participant reflexivity through deeper understanding of social structures and cultural systems, and changing them to support improved wetland and environmental practice of staff, and developing the organisational structures and processes to strengthen organisational learning and development; and 6) using the contradictions identified as generative mechanisms to stimulate and catalyse organisational learning and development for changed wetland/environmental management.
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Learning pathways for improving rehabilitation practices in the mining industry : two cases of coal mining and borrow pits
- Authors: Mphinyane, Andani
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Coal mines and mining -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa , Environmental education -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- South Africa , Coal miners -- Education (Continuing education) -- South Africa , Borrow pits -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1989 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013271
- Description: This research investigates cases of learning pathways for improving rehabilitation practices for key occupations in the mining industry. The study is set up as a partnership research programme between Rhodes University Environmental Learning Research Centre in South Africa, and the South African Qualification Authority, focussing on workplace learning and sustainability practices. This research programme seeks to understand the implications of the move to a knowledge society, with its emphasis on knowledge building over time, particularly in and for the environmental sector. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study that made use of semi-structured interviews, document analysis, visual photographs and observations as instruments of data gathering. Participants were sampled from two case studies, one in Limpopo province and the other one in Mpumalanga Province, who are directly involved in rehabilitation practices and related education and training programmes. The study makes use of career stories from the key occupations to provide insight into workplace learning pathways to inform education and training in the mining industry. A series of analytical statements captures some of the main findings on early education histories, career choices, learning pathway decisions and experiences related to sustainable practices and some complexities related to learning pathways. Environment and sustainability education is a cross-cutting issue in the NQF; and it pertains to the mining sector, especially to rehabilitation practices, which form the focus of this study as little is known about learning pathways associated with these sustainability practices. Insights from the study should enable the sector to enhance rehabilitation training for key occupations and at the same time encourage lifelong learning contributing towards sustainable development.
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Learning pathways of key occupations relevant to sustainable development in Makana Municipality
- Authors: Mohanoe, Elma Nthabiseng
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Makana Municipality , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Environmental education -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Sustainable development -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Vocational qualifications -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Organizational learning -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Educational equalization -- South Africa -- Grahamstown
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1990 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013322
- Description: This study presents results to be contributed to the field of Environmental Education. It is a new arena for qualifications development and implementation in the South African Education and Training system. The study is located in the context of a joint research programme focusing on understanding issues of articulation and learning pathways development for sustainable development, established between the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) in partnership with Rhodes University, Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC). Phase 1 of the SAQA/ELRC research showed that researching workplace learning requires an understanding of learning pathways, if it is to be meaningful. It is for this reason that this research in phase 2 focuses specifically on learning pathways in the context of a local municipality in Makana. Using a case study research approach and qualitative data, this study investigated learning pathways for three occupational categories at different levels in the Makana Municipality: 1) key managerial occupations; 2) key supervisory occupations; and 3) key workers occupations relevant to sustainable development and how they are shaped and experienced. It also identified system and structural factors influencing articulation and access issues relevant to progress in learning pathways relevant to these key occupations. The study was designed using a case study research. Primarily, qualitative research techniques were employed to generate data, including observations, interviews and document analysis. The study used inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference to interpret and analyse data, using critical realist and systems perspectives. The findings on worker learning pathways show that there is a discrepancy between the Training Policy and the Environmental Training and Education Strategy of Makana Municipality. The issue of complexity in learning pathways and social structural factors such as inequality emerged as factors that strongly influenced learning pathways for workers. Learning pathways for workers involved in sustainable development practices hardly existed or simply did not exist. Interesting transitions associated with learning pathways such as from home, to work or no schooling in the case of the workers, showed a pattern of emergence. These showed that learning pathways are not accessible and equally available to everyone as can often erroneously be assumed. The findings on supervisor learning pathways show diverse complexities as well as related issues, when compared to the worker’s learning pathways. Issues such as overlapping of study and work emerge as influential to supervisor learning pathways. Lack of support is, however, an influencing factor, but in a different context compared to the workers, and mainly focuses on lack of bursaries, highlighting training policy issues. This aspect was found to also relate to lack of proper resources in order to enable them to learn and do their job better; an issue raised by the workers too. This challenge of lack of support in various forms posed a barrier to learning pathways. Findings related to the manager’s learning pathways show a noticeable gap between the workers, supervisors and managers. The manager’s generally have higher education qualifications related to sustainable development, and in certain cases managers have had exposure to international training related to sustainable development. Factors such as ample opportunities for learning, mentoring, association on professional bodies, and decision making powers influenced the manager’s learning pathways. It was also notable that while managers receive occupationally directed training, it is not necessarily sustainable development related. In theory, the results highlighted a need to understand systems as a whole and how their integration is important in influencing learning pathways. There were also underlying mechanisms and structures identified which needed to be unravelled and understood as these were found to influence learning pathways in this study. The study highlighted critical insights in understanding how learning pathways in a local municipality context (the case of Makana Municipality) are constructed by both systems and structural factors in the workplace, while also identifying ways in which agency of those engaged in learning for sustainable development in workplaces is enabled and /or constrained by such factors. It also showed the persistence of deep-seated inequalities of opportunity, especially for workers, to access and participate in sustainable development learning pathways.
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Mobilising processes of abstraction, experiential learning and representation of traditional ecological knowledge in participatory monitoring of mangroves and fisheries : an approach towards enhancing social learning processes on the eastern coast of Tanzania
- Authors: Sabai, Daniel
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Traditional ecological knowledge , Environmental education -- Tanzania , Environmental education -- Study and teaching -- Tanzania , Coastal zone management -- Tanzania , Social learning -- Tanzania , Experiential learning -- Tanzania , Mangrove conservation -- Tanzania , Fishery management -- Tanzania
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1979 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013060
- Description: This study addresses a core problem that was uncovered in records from coastal management monitoring initiatives on the eastern coast of Tanzania associated with the application and use of coastal monitoring indicators developed by external development partners for the coastal zone. These records suggest that local communities, who are key actors in participatory monitoring of coastal and marine resources, face many challenges associated with adapting and applying the said frameworks of indicators and monitoring plans. These indicators tend to be scientifically abstracted and methodologically reified; given prevailing contextual and socio‐cultural realities amongst them. The research project addresses the following key research question: How can processes of abstraction, conceptualisation, and representation of TEK contribute to the development of coastal management indicators that are less reified, more contextually and culturally congruent, and which may potentially be used by resource users in the wider social learning process of detecting trends, threats, changes and conditions of mangrove and fisheries resources? In response to the contextual problem and the research question, the study employs processes of abstraction and experiential learning techniques to unlock knowledge that local communities have, as an input for underlabouring existing scientific indicators on the Eastern coast of Tanzania. The research is constituted as critical realist case study research, involving two communities on the eastern coast of Tanzania, namely the Moa and the Boma communities (in Mkinga coastal district). Overall, the study involved 37 participants in a series of interviews, focus group discussions, and experiential learning processes using visualised data, and an experiential learning intervention workshop, and follow‐ups over a period of 3 years. The study worked with mangroves and fisheries to provide focus to the case study research and to allow for in‐depth engagement with the assumptions and processes associated with indicators development and use. Through the above mentioned data generation processes, critical realist analysis, and experiential learning processes involving abstraction and representation of traditional ecological knowledge held by mangrove restorers and fishers in the study areas, the study uncovers possible challenges of adapting and applying scientific indicators in participatory monitoring of a mangrove ecosystem. Using ampliative modes of inference for data analysis (induction, abduction and retroduction) and a critical realist scientific explanatory framework known as DRRREI(C) (Resolution, Re‐description, Retrodiction, Elimination, Identification, & Correction) the study suggests a new approach that may lead to the development of a framework of indicators that are less reified, more congruent to users (coastal communities), and likely to attract a wider context‐based social learning which favours epistemological access between scientific institutions (universities inclusive), and local communities. It attempts to establish an interface between knowledge that scientific institutions produce and the potential knowledge that exists in local contexts (traditional ecological knowledge), and seeks to widen and improve knowledge sharing and experiential learning practices that may potentially benefit coastal and marine resources in the study area. As mentioned above, the knowledge and abstraction processes related to the indicators development focussed on the mangrove ecosystem and associated fisheries, as engaged in the two participating communities in the eastern coast of Tanzania. The specific findings are therefore limited by the case boundaries, but the methodological process could be replicated and used elsewhere. The study’s contributions are theoretical and methodological, but also social and practice‐centred. The study brings into view the need to consider the contextual relevance of adapted knowledge, the capacity or ability of beneficiaries to adapt and apply scientific models, frameworks or tools, and the potential of local knowledge as an input for enhancing or improving monitoring of mangroves and mangrove‐based fisheries. Finally, the study comes up with a framework of indicators which is regarded by the coastal communities involved in the study as being less reified, more contextually and culturally congruent, and which may potentially be used in detecting environmental trends, threats, changes and conditions of mangrove and fisheries resources, and attract wider social learning processes.
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Social learning in community based natural resource management project (CBNRM) : a case study of Chipembere gardening project in Zimbabwe.
- Authors: Mukwambo, Robson
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Social learning -- Zimbabwe , Social learning -- Case studies , Vegetable gardening -- Zimbabwe , Economic development projects -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2014 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016363
- Description: This investigation of social learning processes in the Chipembere gardening project was conducted in Rockvale village one in Sebakwe communal area in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe. In essence, the study sought to explore how the Chipembere gardening project as a community-based natural resource management initiative (CBNRM), was reflecting and supporting social learning processes of change. It also sought to enrich and deepen an organizational understanding of social learning and to generate ideas and draw recommendations that could be used to strengthen learning in other CBNRM projects. The research was undertaken as a qualitative case study with data generated through semi-structured interviews with individuals and groups. It also included an analysis of project documents and an extended period of participant observation on site and in the gardening activities. Data were indexed and coded for generating analytical memos that were used to extract and represent the scope of social learning interations within the developing project. The study found that within the Chipembere gardening project a wide range of learning interactions were significant in shaping the developing project. Furthermore, these interactions were earmarked as the major drivers of social learning processes within the project. The study concluded that the social learning interactions amongst the gardeners in the Chipembere community garden were instrumental in fostering change that enhanced community livelinhoods and wellbeing.
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