Analysis of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger's Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation

In Situated Learning, Lave and Wenger argued that learning is ‘situated’ because it is largely a product of the environment in which it occurs and takes place most effectively through participation with experts and peers in a ‘community of practice.’

Format: Hardback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 19 February 2018
Publisher: Macat International Limited

Social anthropologist Jean Lave and computer scientist Etienne Wengers groundbreaking Situated Learning revolutionized the fields of cognitive science and pedagogy by taking a fresh approach to learning. Traditionally, theories of learning and education had centered on cognitive processes, the mental processes involved in knowledge formation within individuals. Lave and Wenger, however, chose to view learning not as an individual endeavor but as a social one.

A subtle but transformative shift in emphasis was all that was needed to reveal a completely different perspective. Situated Learning exemplified and emphasized that learning is inherently tied to its social context. While the most effective way to learn is through interaction with experts and peers in a community united by a shared interest, the traditional cognitive learning model failed to account for the dynamic nature of learners' interactions with their 'community of practice.

In response, Lave and Wenger developed a new hypothesis that learning can be perceived as a constantly evolving network of relationships situated within a social framework. This groundbreaking perspective allowed Lave and Wenger to reimagine discussions of apprenticeship and workplace learning, placing them on a new and fertile ground. As a result, Situated Learning had a profound impact on business and management scholarship, shaping the way we understand and approach learning in these contexts.

In conclusion, Situated Learning by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger was a seminal work that challenged traditional perspectives on learning and education. By shifting the focus from individual cognitive processes to social contexts, Lave and Wenger opened up new avenues for understanding and promoting learning. Their hypothesis that learning is a continuously evolving set of relationships situated within a social context has had a lasting impact on the fields of cognitive science, pedagogy, and business and management scholarship.

Weight: 202g
Dimension: 207 x 208 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781912302154