Westberg, Lotten and Polk, Merritt
(2016).
The role of learning in transdisciplinary research: moving from a normative concept to an analytical tool through a practice-based approach.
Sustainability science. 11
:3
, 385-397
[Journal article]
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PDF
- Accepted Version
966kB |
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11625-016-0358-4
Abstract
Transdisciplinary (TD) research is an example of a participatory research approach that has been developed to address the complexity of societal problems through the exchange of knowledge and expertise across diverse groups of societal actors. The concept of knowledge exchange is central to the ability of TD research to produce usable knowledge. There is, however, limited theoretical attention to the processes that enable knowledge exchange, namely learning. In this article, we analyze the "transferability" of knowledge generated in TD research settings from a practice-based approach. In this approach, learning and knowing are seen as situated in social practices, in meaning making processes where the involved participants make sense of what they do and why they do it. We describe and analyze three TD projects, and discuss the role of practitioners' perspectives in the interpretation of the tasks and realization of TD, and in the consequences this has for the organization of the research process and the usability of its results. The analysis shows that while the project teams were given the same task and framework, they did not understand or enact TD in a similar fashion. The three projects created different goals and organizations. They also resulted in different challenges, which could be identified and analyzed by the use of a practice-based approach to learning. In the conclusions, we identify aspects for both practice and research that are important for creating sufficient conditions for learning in TD research processes so that they can better promote contributions to societal change.
Authors/Creators: | Westberg, Lotten and Polk, Merritt | ||||
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Title: | The role of learning in transdisciplinary research: moving from a normative concept to an analytical tool through a practice-based approach | ||||
Series Name/Journal: | Sustainability science | ||||
Year of publishing : | 2016 | ||||
Volume: | 11 | ||||
Number: | 3 | ||||
Page range: | 385-397 | ||||
Number of Pages: | 13 | ||||
Publisher: | Springer | ||||
ISSN: | 1862-4057 | ||||
Language: | English | ||||
Publication Type: | Journal article | ||||
Refereed: | Yes | ||||
Article category: | Scientific peer reviewed | ||||
Version: | Accepted version | ||||
Full Text Status: | Public | ||||
Agris subject categories.: | U Auxiliary disciplines > U30 Research methods | ||||
Subjects: | (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 5 Social Sciences > 509 Other Social Sciences > Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (Peace and Conflict Research and Studies on Sustainable Society) | ||||
Keywords: | Transdisciplinary research, Situated learning, Sociocultural theory, Sustainability | ||||
URN:NBN: | urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-e-4352 | ||||
Permanent URL: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-e-4352 | ||||
Additional ID: |
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ID Code: | 14394 | ||||
Faculty: | LTV - Fakulteten för landskapsarkitektur, trädgårds- och växtproduktionsvetenskap NJ - Fakulteten för naturresurser och jordbruksvetenskap | ||||
Department: | (NL, NJ) > Dept. of Urban and Rural Development (LTJ, LTV) > Dept. of Urban and Rural Development | ||||
Deposited By: | SLUpub Connector | ||||
Deposited On: | 13 Sep 2017 07:43 | ||||
Metadata Last Modified: | 27 Jun 2020 15:42 |
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