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This chapter discusses the focus of learning in lesson study research in initial teacher education. Whose learning should be considered in lesson study cycles? The learning of the student-teachers, the learning of the pupils or both? Relevance theory implies that meaningful interaction develops as a consequence of the heuristic interplay between the communicative and the cognitive principles of relevance, that is, the dynamics of any given interaction create meaning as the interactional process unfolds and relevance is maximised. The participants in the interaction at hand will thus create the best solution in any given set of circumstances. They will subconsciously strive towards the most relevant outcome of their interaction, which equals maximisation of relevance irrespective of the quality of the outcome. This approach will be used to discuss the role of the student-teachers and the pupils in learning processes and lesson study cycles. The student-teachers influence the interactional process from the point of view of the communicative principle of relevance, and the pupils influence the interactional process from the point of view of the cognitive principle of relevance. These dynamics will also have a bearing on the unfolding of the lesson study cycle, and consequently imply that lesson study research should take into account the learning of both the student-teachers and the pupils from the point of view of collaborative learning and reflective practices.

Proposes a new way of looking at learning that reflects the complexity and messiness of life. While inefficient learning habits are just that, the long‐standing cycle, circle, wheel or spiral of learning theory is too neat and organized. Criticizes the Honey and Mumford approach to learning styles for adopting an approach to experience that is behavioural at the expense of the meaningful aspects of experience. Theorizing and experiencing are one action, not two. People are practical theorists. They use the learning elements of Kolb, Honey and Mumford, etc., but in a varying sequence. The result is rich and complex patterns. Action learning’s theory of learning provides an example of this pattern. People often display this pattern in their knowing‐in‐action. The learning cycle is a convenient simplification that is best used for after‐the‐event reflection. Underlying these contrasting theories are two schools of thought ‐ traditional analytic and interpretive science. Proposes the need to use interpretive science to develop action as thinking.

Establishes our perspective for shared organizational learning processes, cycles, and systems. These learning phenomena are usually tacit, i.e. the organization is only dimly aware of them. These tacit phenomena drive both decision and action and, because they are tacit, they are self‐organizing and are normally not analysed. In order to develop effective learning systems, the organization must explicitly articulate and design these learning processes, cycles, and systems. The “learning unit” is introduced as the essential element where learning development must focus for improved organizational performance. Begins to develop the implications of this perspective for organization theory, organizational practice, and the art of management. Organizational learning can drive organizational transformation if these phenomena are properly planned, designed, and facilitated.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how a foreign subsidiary operates in emerging markets and integrates market orientation with organizational learning to achieve a competitive lead. It is an attempt to fill an evident gap in the literature of integrating organizational learning into a market-oriented competitive strategy through using a four-step collective learning cycle at General Motors Egypt (GME).

The paper adopts a qualitative case study methodology to thoroughly examine the viewpoints of 90 respondents via in-depth and unstructured interviews with both managers and employees working in a variety of divisions inside GME. An integrative qualitative data analysis approach is used to explore, synthesize, interpret and derive relationships resulting from the collected data.

This work advances the theory of organizational learning by testing the theme of collective learning cycle in a real work setting. It presents a real example of aligning market orientation into a collective learning cycle directed toward achieving competitive advantages.

This study provides scholars and practitioners alike with a real scenario on how and why a four-step organizational learning cycle functions as a building block to generate a competitive advantage. It also discusses the elements of collective learning that are not captured by the four-step collective learning cycle. Factors facilitating market-based organizational learning are also explored. However, the results generated are contingent on the investigated case study circumstances, which are limited in generalizability.

The paper addresses a set of directions through which auto assembly firms leverage both collective learning practices and knowledge-driven strategy to gain competitive advantages. The GME paradigm indicates how a firm can use collective learning not only to respond to an internal need for change but also to react to external market forces and constraints.

This study is the first of its kind to investigate the value of the cyclic learning concept from a strategic viewpoint in a multinational organizational context. It enriches the primarily practitioner literature on aligning collective learning into strategy with rich empirical examination of the learning practices of a leading foreign subsidiary. It resolves a gap in the literature regarding how organizational learning and knowledge management processes are aligned to market-oriented competitive strategy. The paper draws a number of critical research issues that call for refinement of the organizational learning cycle theory.

Summarizes the Honey and Mumford learning styles questionnaire (LSQ) and their version of the learning cycle. Shows how these were used as tools for more effective learning with a group of managers. First, personal develop ment plans were produced, using the strong and low learning style preferences as a guide to the development solutions most likely to be effective. Uses actual cases to illustrate. Second, the LSQ results were used in the design of a development programme for these individuals as a group. The learning cycle was deployed in the overall design, the learning style preferences were taken as the basis for development, not just as a tool for analysis. An off‐the‐job programme assisted managers to understand not only their own preferred learning but that of others.

In an age of rapid knowledge expansion, external knowledge sources are available in abundance. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the way in which firms can effectively internalize explicit knowledge and direct it into the tacit knowledge of employees, thereby enhancing the organization's competitiveness (knowledge internalization).

An exploratory research is adapted to discuss the issue of knowledge internalization based on learning cycle theory. A theoretical framework is developed which provides an analytical perspective on the knowledge internalization.

The results of this study reveal that an “incomplete learning cycle” is one of the reasons why explicit knowledge could not be successfully converted into tacit knowledge. Hence, when a more complete learning cycle is followed, explicit knowledge is more easily converted into tacit knowledge.

This study's results can be considered as a stepping‐stone for future rigorous theoretical and empirical investigations.

This paper seeks to develop a framework of knowledge internalization based on learning cycle theory that will serve as reference for both the academic and business communities.

Notes that, in an environment of rapid change, organisational learning theory appears to offer much for organisations trying to grapple with change and growth. However, not all theorists agree on the methodologies of organisational learning, and there is little consensus about how organisations achieve both change and growth simultaneously. The paper attempts to expand the simplistic idea that organisational learning is an adaptive approach supported by individualized and stand‐alone strategies of learning and demonstrates how various conventions of learning can be understood as integrated learning cycles, from which organisations can chart new paradigms of learning in practice. Current theories of organizational learning are imbued with their own sense of history making, clever manifestos that support a workshop or case study approach, and questionable rather than empirical validations of an internally consistent phenomenon. Existing theories of learning, however, are valuable to the extent that they collectively represent a community of practice from which scholars and practitioners benefit. New conceptual approaches are needed, however, to link current practices and empirical observation, so that individualized approaches to organizational learning can be integrated.

This paper aims to examine multiple learning cycles across a UK housebuilder organization following changes made to their quality management routine at the organizational level, through to subsequent understanding and enactment at the level of the individuals involved.

This study uses a qualitative case study methodology based on an analysis of six-weeks of participant observation, semi-structured ethnographic interviews and documentation within three of the organization’s regional offices. Through an abductive process, it draws on gathered data and extant literature to develop a multi-level learning model.

Four levels of learning cycles are observed within the model: individual, team (within which inter-organizational relationships nest), region and organization. Three inter-related factors are identified as influencing feed-forward and feedback across the levels: time, communication and trust. The impact of these levels and factors on the process of learning is conceptualized through the metaphor of coupling and decoupling and discussed using examples from housing development projects.

While previous models of organizational learning highlight important multi-level interaction effects, they do not explore how the different levels of learning synchronize over time for learning to move between them. This paper addresses this gap by shedding important light on how layers of learning synchronize and why and when this can occur within multi-level organizations.

Research on the nature of blended learning and its features has led to a variety of approaches to the practice of blended learning. The purpose of this paper is to provide an alternative practice model, the TSOI hybrid learning model (HLM) to enhance the blended learning experiences in science education.

The Piagetian science learning cycle model and Kolb's experiential learning cycle model are used to structure the theoretical framework of this model. This HLM which is research evidence‐based represents learning as a cognitive process in a cycle of four phases: Translating, Sculpting, Operationalizing and Integrating. A major feature is to promote active cognitive processing in the learner for meaningful and engaged learning proceeding from inductive to deductive and also addressing the learner's individual learning style. Thus, it is inclined towards constructivism.

The paper provides students' responses in terms of blog and wiki.

An application of this HLM to enhance blended learning experiences in science education is illustrated with an authentic example on understanding multimedia learning design in an e‐learning environment for pre‐service teachers. Outcomes, feedback and implications will be discussed in the context of blended learning in science education.

The HLM contributes as an alternative practice model to a new paradigm shift in designing and enhancing blended learning experiences.

The applicability of learning curve theory to the construction industry has been investigated by several studies; however, the outcomes are characterised by inconsistent, rather sporadic patterns. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of learning on concrete masonry blockwork labour productivity in recurring building floor cycles.

Repetitive blockwork labour inputs from 52 multi-storey residential buildings were collected and analysed using the straight-line learning curve model. The cumulative average labour input for each recurring floor and its corresponding cycle number were modelled using the least squares method.

According to the learning curve theory principles, labour inputs are expected to decrease by a certain percentage as the floor cycle number within each building observed increases. Nonetheless, the patterns emerged from this study provide little evidence for that.

Contrary to several previous findings which have asserted the significance of the learning concept to construction productivity, the results obtained for the activity investigated suggest that there is no potential context for the theory to be used as a useful tool to quantify productivity improvement, or to provide for a practical project management observation and control system.

Notwithstanding the numerous research into the effect of learning on construction activities, this study is unprecedented in examining the applicability of the theory to concrete masonry blockwork labour productivity in building construction. It can thus assist in achieving reliable planning, determining the plausibility of correlating past performances or predicting future expenditures, and appraising the potentiality of the learning phenomenon as a useful tool to quantify productivity improvement over the repetitive cycle process of such a distinct construction activity.