The Research On The Theoretical Model Of PBAL In The Workplace

In the terms of Educational Psychology, summarily, there are two kinds of activities we are engaged in during the whole life:one is the activities that transform the objective world; the other one is the activities that alter the subjective world. The former activities are collectively called "work" by us, the latter one is named "learning", and it is the rapidly developing "Workplace Learning" that becomes the bridge built between them. In the area of workplace learning, the Project-based Action Learning (hereinafter referred to as PBAL) is a kind of newly developing learning model which has profound impact and is applied broadly. Based on the critical reflection of the traditional learning model, PBAL puts forward a kind of new and substitutive learning path. However, the recent research on PBAL focused more on "instrumental" studies at an operating or executive level, seeing it as a tool of training (learning). It focuses on the method of process and operation, whereas it ignores the theoretical research on the process of learning activities. In particular, it lacks of relevant theoretical studies in the context of China. In view of the situation mentioned above and under the guidance of the Constructing Grounded Theory, which is a kind of research methodology, this thesis focus on the practice of PBAL expanded in the native companies of China. A native Chinese company called MeiShan Company of Baosteel lies in Shanghai is used as a case study. Based on the case, this paper uses the methods of on-site observation, depth interview and questionnaire survey and so on to collect the baseline data. After that, according to the demand of the Grounded Theory, the essay adopts the normative data analysis and coding techniques, from the medium level of learning activities (the level of team or organizational learning), to construct the theoretical model of Project-based Action Learning. Thereafter, based on the direction of the new theoretical model, the paper further discusses the Effective Mechanism of Project-based Action Learning. The main contents include:Chapter One:Introduction. Based on the analysis of the background and origin for the subject’s selection, followed with the subject’s objective and meaning and then the paper comes up with the holistic research approach, frame, methods, problems and the mainly research contests of the paper.Chapter Two:Literature review is conducted and research questions are put forward. Through the review of relevant literature that focuses on PBAL, combined with the existing practice, the chapter expounds the origin and development of research questions. Chapter Three:Details are outlined on research methodology, research design, sampling and encoding. In order to become a good research, if you use the Grounded Theory, then it is a must solved problem that how to use a kind of concise way to present the research conclusion. Since this research uses this approach (Grounded Theory), though facing with large data volumes, the paper needs a simple way to present the conclusion. That is to say, the paper should not only make the readers not submersed in the plentiful data and material but also keep the readers clear about the research venation and the relationship between the data and the theoretical. This is also a way to improve the research reliability. Therefore, the Chapter Three elaborates the research methods and research design of the Ground Theory (Which includes the selection of sample, the method to gather the data, the flow path of data analysis as well as the procedure of constructing a theory).Chapter Four:The analysis of the influence factors on PBAL in the workplace. The study obtains three core and thirteen main categories based on original empirical data, through the method of "Substantive Coding" included in the Grounding Theory. And then this chapter discusses what the factors are and how they impact the learning activities from three perspectives:individual, team and organization, and map the relationship between the related concepts.Chapter Five:The research on the activities to PBAL in the workplace. This chapter researches the objectives, process, the level and stage about PBAL Combining with the practice on learning activities, And supported by original empirical data, constructing the goals and process of substantive theoretical model of PBAL.Chapter Six:The research on learning in the workplace-individual, team and organization. However, a good Grounded Theory Research should not only stay in substantial theoretical construction. This is because, for this kind of the substantial theory with the support of original empirical data, there is some limitation coming from the special research object. In order to solve this problem, it is required by the Grounded Theory that the comparative study of the relevant literature has to be done. This kind of comparative research, on the one hand, can perfect the substantial theory and ascent it into the formal theory. On the other hand, it can make the connection between the constructed theory and the existing research, which will be good for the continuity of the research. According to the ideas, Chapter Six includes the literature review of relevant learning theories from the perspective of individual, team and organization. It points out the core view and compares it with the substantial theory derived from Chapter4and Chapter5.Chapter Seven:The reconstruction of the theoretical model of PBAL in the workplace. This chapter reconstructs the theoretical model of PBAL based on the substantial theory of the chapter4and chapter5and the result of the literature study-----the Continuum Model for Project-based Action Learning, which is the most important contribution in this research. This model comprises five parts:One Target, Two Procedures, Three Layers, Four Phases and Thirteen Influencing Factors. One Target can be reflected by the fact that the Project-based Learning make some combinations come true. These combustions lie between the learning and work, the individual development and the improvement of the organization performance; Two Procedures include:the expanding learning procedure (namely learning and innovation process) as well as the community of practice learning procedure (namely the application of the knowledge); Three Layers indicates the layers of individual, team and organization. They are crossed by the Project-based Action Learning activities; Four Phrases describe the transition procedure of the mental model and the thinking method, which is based on the Project-based Action Learning; Thirteen Influencing Factors imply the main factors that influence the Action learning in the workplace and the relationship between them, All of the factors are analyzed through the three layers of the individual, team and the organization.Chapter Eight:The research on the mechanism of PBAL in the workplace. This chapter focuses on the application of the theoretical model, combining with the current practice, and analyses the existing practical problem in the application of the Project-based Action Learning. All of these analyses are grounded on the current practice and the new constructive theoretical models. Then this part discusses how to establish the Effective Project-based Action Learning Mechanism from the three learning aspects, which includes the learning dynamic mechanism, occurrence mechanism as well as the safeguard mechanism.Chapter Nine:Research findings, contributions and shortcomings. There are still some shortcomings in this research since the limits of time, energy and the research resource, such as the lack of the confirmatory study for the Continuum Model of the Project-based Action Learning. In the further study, the research needs to select added samples and do better in the compare and study with the help of more theories. Therefore, the paper would get enrichment connotation for the concepts and the categories, whilst improve the constructed research theory and the discovery. Then the research would be able to be used universally and guides more learning practice, the institutional education transformation, for example.