This study analyzes the expansive learning process of the community of practice (CoP) during the participation in the local community activities from the perspective of Culture-Historical Activity Theory. The Engestrom’s expansive learning can be un...
This study analyzes the expansive learning process of the community of practice (CoP) during the participation in the local community activities from the perspective of Culture-Historical Activity Theory. The Engestrom’s expansive learning can be understood to be composed of the activity elements of the activity system and the changes and expansion of the activity system itself.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the learning managers’ expansive learning process during their operation of Namyangjus’ Lifelong Learning Program, which is a citizen participation in community of practice. The research issues to be resolved to achieve the purpose of this study are as follows. First, how did the learning managers’ execute their activities? Second, how were the each level of activities structured? Third, how do the learning managers undergo expansion and learning of their own activity structure?
The results of this study are as follows.
First, the activities of the learning managers were divided and expanded into four different phases, according to the levels of voluntary participation. The four phases evolved in the following ways; first, ‘do as what they are asked to do’, which learning managers passively executed what had already been planned. Second, ‘do it together’, which the participants had made plans with governors and then executed. Third, ‘do it voluntarily’, which they voluntarily planned and participated in the activities. Finally, ‘step into principal activities’ which they played important roles and achieve goals through a variety of interactions based on a strong partnership.
Second, the process of expansion was shown when the learning managers overcame the conflict in the activity system and became the subject of the activity. Activity structure undergoes constant changes. Changes occur not only in the activity structure, but also in the learing process adapting to the new environment. Learning managers learn in every step of activity by adapting to a new activity, or creating a new activity during each step in the learning process. Such learning is gained from participation, not from knowledge fed from the instructor. In particular, learning manager undergo learning by: recognize the problem; singe loop learn (consider solutions, share experience and knowledge with other learning managers, self-study, participate in educational program, interact with others), trial and error; double loop learning (recognize changes, perspective switch, seek new model), recreate activity change in activity (create new model, find optimal solution; and ).
Third, the learning manager has grown into proactive citizens through citizen participation. Going from passive participant of training courses provided by the administration's unilateral demands, learning managers began to take active roles in participating in the development and execution of policies.
Fourth, the learning managers established an identity through learning how to become 'learning managers leading the citizens through education' with community pride and a sense of solidarity on the basis of growth. It is achieved through the relationship between the individual and the community as well as the interactions between individuals and community participation by sharing experiences and relationships with various entities to build a community of learning. The system of learning managers, which is only one of the growths in the context of non-activity, was the growth of communities of practice and bring about changes that could be found.
Fifth, the administration system adjoining the changes in the learning managers activities also undergo changes. The administration undergoes changes to become interactive instead of unilateral; citizen centric instead of citizen utilization; local governance instead of administrative managed. Dynamic learning of local citizens is not created by the administration's unilateral plan or program provided. It is made by a community in order to achieve the common goal of the various entities obtained the power of collective learning. Also, interaction and participation is formed by partnership between citizens and local administrations, who have to make a plan together, realizing our citizens, directed lifelong learning policy suggests the necessity of a change of direction.