Critical learnership: A new perspective on learning

Abstract

To keep abreast of technological innovations, social change, and advances in subject matter knowledge, professional practitioners must continually learn. To solve new and different problems and capitalise on emerging opportunities that arise in practice requires learning. Tendencies to learn and solve problems on one‘s own are limiting and unsustainable. Thus, more collaborative, extensible, and sustainable approaches to learning and change are necessary. To this end, the authors present an emerging perspective on sustainable and collaborative learning, innovation, and transformation—Critical Learnership. Critical Learnership involves shared and continuous critique and challenge of existing ways of thinking, doing, and being, while building autonomy and self-direction. It draws on theories and principles of adult learning and professional development, sustainability and ecology, adaptive systems, organisational learning, and self-determination. At its essence, Critical Learnership is a critical, active mindset towards finding sustainable solutions to everyday problems. The skills and strategies of Critical Learnership are necessary for and help to achieve lifelong and life-wide learning. The article lays out the need for a new direction in the way we attempt to understand and encourage learning, describes how Critical Learnership may enable us to venture down this path, and discusses its implications for individuals, organisations, and society as a whole.