Power, partnership and learning
Mary Frances
Leamington Spa (UK)
Abstract
This paper is based on part of a research-based dissertation completed
in 1998. My initial plan had been to present two perspectives on learning
partnerships, one through research my own practice, and one through a form
a participative inquiry with learning group participants. As the work progressed,
I added a third perspective, that of the commissioning clients in organi-sations.
The research was informal and experimental, providing rich and lively data,
and it is this third angle which is presented here. As a result of this
research, the contracting process emerged as a significant issue for attention.
It highlighted the need for external consultants to understand what is
important to organisations in setting up learning and support strategies
for their staff, a process which calls for considerable skill in construing
the constructions of both individuals and the organisational collective.
The views of learners about the features which support and promote their
learning are contrasted with the dominant constructs about learning events
held by their organisations. The analysis many practical issues and questions,
particu-larly with regard to understanding each other’s perspectives, and
therefore building meaning-ful learning contracts. The outcome locates
learning, and the commissioning of learning inter-ventions, in an organisational
and political context and, as a result, a simple model is pre-sented which
might help external facilitators to actively promote and develop the relationships
and understandings which might in turn foster individual and organisational
learning.
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