This paper explores the professional practice of the Action Learning (AL) facilitator through a process of critical inquiry, self-reflection and evaluation of action learning practice within a Higher Education Leadership Programme, commissioned by an English NHS Mental Health Trust. Action research was adopted as the overarching research approach…

Action learning is one of the most effective leadership development interventions [Day, Fleenor, Atwater, Sturm, and McKee. 2014. "Advances in Leader and Leadership Development: A Review of 25 Years of Research and Theory." The Leadership Quarterly 25 (1): 63-82; Pauleen. 2003. "Leadership in a Global Virtual Team: An Action…

This article walks through the experience of two instructors from Northeastern State University who helped the College of Business and Technology implement work-based learning. Work-based learning was implemented in response to the changing needs of businesses, however, there were some struggles that had to be worked through in order to make this…

This study applies an action learning research (ALR) methodology to develop and implement an electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) for learning and assessment in clinical placements of undergraduate nursing students for the first time in Morocco. Alpha, beta, and gamma systems of ALR were adopted. Twenty-two action learning groups (ALG) was…

This account of practice tells the story of how engaging in a critical action learning set helped us address problems with student engagement in a postgraduate module. On the surface, this seems fairly straightforward following Revans' model (1971). However, what we actually have are multiple layers of self-reflection, a visual metaphor and its…

This case study draws a specific link to the practice of action learning (AL) in China. We organized ourselves into an AL set and used Revans' AL, as interpreted by Marquardt (2004), to create a post-teaching dialog to examine the experience gained from delivering an interdisciplinary course online--a novice situation--in a Chinese transnational…

There is concern that management and business research favours rigour and theory over relevance and practice. There are pressures from funding councils for researchers to show more impact. The paper shows how the bridge between the academic world and the world of practice can be served by action learning. Consideration is given to the difficulties…

This paper aims to make known the materials on action learning that are held in the universities of Salford and Manchester, with the aim of bringing these unique resources to the attention of researchers and other interested parties. It is a joint effort between the Editorial Board members of the Journal, Action Learning: Research & Practice…

This Action Learning (AL)/Action Research study (AS) explores the practice of Action Learning (AL) to further higher education (H.E.) apprenticeships by collaboration between University Provider (UP) and employer. AL members aim to address complexity, bridging the gap between management education delivered by a work-based learning (WBL)…

This account of practice focusses on insights from the 'early days' of an action learning set within a leadership development programme in the English NHS. The account describes experiences of forming as a set as an important foundation for trust. Developing trust between set members enabled members to take more risks, sharing current and complex…

To contribute to current debate concerning approaches to teaching and learning for researching complex work-based problems, we focus on the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) programme. We examine the development of an integrated action learning approach as part of a part-time DBA offered by a university in the UK. In adopting the lens of…

This paper explores the literature around online and blended learning. The impetus came from a cohort of 60 students being led through their dissertation by an e-learning evangelist. Initially the pedagogy closely followed Salmon's Five Stage Model, Wenger's Community of Practice, and traditional Social Constructivism pedagogies. In hindsight, it…

This account of practice offers practical examples of the use of reflective journaling and WhatsApping as part of a novice action learner's practice on her undergraduate degree programme. The action learning set was part of a degree apprentices programme which required the first author to complete a work-based learning module involving the…

This article sheds light on employee wellbeing. We reveal how an 'adapted' action learning intervention (a change laboratory) introduced prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK, enabled learning and action to emerge within an educational programme. We utilise the theoretical lens of activity theory to illustrate the challenges and tensions of…

This account of practice is about the 'Scale Up' programme, an attempt by an external consultant and their client to implement a model of Action Learning in an academic environment. It tells the story of establishing an Action Learning programme for local business leaders in collaboration with an academic business school. The programme involved…