Browsing by Author "Syväoja, Josa"

Objectives. This thesis analyzed disturbances and expansive learning possibilities in benefits officers' learning groups. Pension company Sely organized the project concerning learning groups and the objective of this training program was to develop both individual competence and collective activity in the organization. The theoretical framework of this study was based on cultural-historical activity theory. The aim of the thesis was to study the learning groups in order to discover disturbances, and to also examine how benefits officers manage these problems. Another main objective is to also reveal expansive learning possibilities in the benefits officers' activity. Methods. Two learning groups were established in the organization's learning project. The data consisted of videotaped and tape-recorded material gathered from the meetings of the learning groups. In addition, researcher attended to the meetings and observed the course of conversations. 12 benefits officers participated in this study. Disturbance analysis was chosen for research method. Also, expansive learning cycle was applied in order to analyze the expansive possibilities of the reviewed activity. Results and conclusions. Disturbances in the learning groups discussions' were located to reasons stemming from the subject, the data system tools, and network cooperation. Disturbances were mostly ignored or solved by using already existing solutions. However, there were occasions when benefits officers processed disturbances in a way that questioned the present activity. In addition, there were a few observations where participants also modeled new ideas into the activity. These kinds of observations were analyzed more specifically in order to detect the possibilities for expansive learning. According to the results possibilities for expansive development are connected to the expansion of the boundaries of the benefits officers' activity, such as expansion of the occupational responsibilities and professional roles.