3. Implementation and phases

The following describes how the work in a learning circle can be initiated, structured, led and implemented in practice.

This work with learning processes in the circle can be divided into three different phases:

formation of the circle;
focus on the task and co-creation; and
the closing phase.

A) Formation of the Circle (Learning Circle/Research Circle)

Initiative

The initiative to start a circle can be taken by different individuals within an organisation or institution such as a school or government agency, or by researchers in a higher education institution, or by someone who has read about circle-based work. Starting a circle with participants and leaders and securing funding for participants and leaders may be time-consuming.

Theme or Specialisation

The point of departure when starting a circle with a more research-focused specialisation may be a series of dilemmas, questions, new educational needs or other developmental requirements that may be experienced in the practical work carried out by different people in a workplace or public authority. The shared problem and the shared growth in knowledge are the focus of the circle’s work. Subject areas can be very varied, and may relate to issues such as inclusion, human rights, innovations in business, leadership in the area of inclusion, gender issues, equality in the workplace and wider society, language development, voluntary organisations, and product development.

Recruitment of Participants

The recruitment of participants is an important step for many different reasons: a) based on the goal and how heterogeneous the group is that will form the basis for the work; b) the willingness and motivation to participate; c) the practical opportunities to participate. When recruiting participants, it is important to know whether participation is voluntary or more or less mandatory based on the agreements that different organisations have in place for their employees. Experience has shown that there are elevated levels of engagement when participation is voluntary and well-motivated.

Recruiting a researcher, which is an important condition for starting a research circle, can be problematic. It is advantageous if the researcher is familiar with co-production working methods and has a genuine interest in participatory approaches. The researcher’s language and attitude are also important elements in the creation of a shared learning environment within the circle since there may be different types of expectations in relation to the researcher’s role, status, methods and expertise.

Leadership of the learning circle is essential, and will place demands on the leader’s/facilitator’s skills and knowledge (this will be expanded upon in the next section on circle leadership).

"Discussions encompassing a range of views will not be shared outside the group"

Practical Conditions

It is necessary to clarify the practical conditions for gatherings – i.e. how many gatherings, dates and venues, travel, remuneration for time and other issues that are of importance in ensuring continuous participation.

In order to achieve learning processes that implement change, it is important that there is enough time to test and bring about changes, which means it is of value for the group to meet at least five and up to ten times at intervals of between two and four weeks. It is desirable for each gathering to be of sufficient duration that all participants are able to be active participants in the learning process. As such, the number of participants may vary from a handful of participants (4–5) to a maximum of ten participants. It is also important that the venue for gatherings is furnished in a way that facilitates communication between group participants.

The First Meeting

The first meeting is important in terms of shaping and defining the foundations of the group’s work. It is essential that there is plenty of time for introductions and discussions about expectations, goals, plausible working methods, actions between meetings, etc.

It will be helpful to reach an agreement in the symbolic contract in terms of confidentiality in order to allow for open discussions and problematisation without individuals facing any risk of being marginalised for their views. It is important to highlight that discussions encompassing a range of views will not be shared outside the group. In a circle exploring value-related issues, there may be difficulties around problematising and discussing values on a more specialised level with a normative and evaluative approach among the participants. It is crucial that this is addressed and processed by the circle on a continuous basis.

Creating a permissive and reflective environment, in which participants feel that they are an important part of the learning process, is important during the first meeting and during subsequent gatherings of the circle. Everyone’s participation and views are important to the process. This will make demands of the learning group’s leadership, which is discussed in further detail in the section on circle leadership. Any uncertainty during the initial gathering may put the leader under pressure to assume the role of lecturer or teacher, which will naturally give the impression that participants are “absolved” of any need to reflect or otherwise be active in relation to their own learning and that of others.

Specialised Knowledge

The initial gathering should include a connection to theory in order to clarify the circle’s theoretical points of departure and chosen working methods, as well as any terms that are relevant in different contexts in order to develop reflections and discussions that focus on the subject at hand. Discussions may also remain superficial if there is an absence of specialised knowledge and structure (see the section on the learning process on p.5).

Language and Communication

When it comes to Nordic and other international circles, the issue of language is an important one to raise. Translanguaging is a new form of multilingual communication in which the use of different languages that participants can communicate in or understand is permitted. Everyone does not need to speak the same language, but it is important that there is a shared understanding of the message. There must be openness and curiosity in relation to the issue of language whenever something is not clear to all participants.

Round-up and Actions

Each gathering must end with a round-up, shared reflections, agreed actions for the interval between meetings, and plans for the next gathering, as well as any “homework” being set. Working in a learning/research circle is demanding both in terms of time and skills, and participants will often not be qualified to participate. Being involved in the planning and implementation of a development project seeking to continuously gather data, keep logs and reflect upon practice, and evaluate and identify how the development process can proceed are tasks that are time-consuming and take a great deal of effort.

B) Focus and Co-creation

Once the formation of the circle is complete, focused work and co-creation can begin in earnest. The different phases can usually take place more or less in parallel, but it is still important to distinguish between the phases in order to streamline the facilitation of a learning circle. During the Focus and Co-creation phase, there is a focus on the actual goal of the circle’s learning process, which is made easier by a range of selected working methods. In order to gain access to practical experiences, a range of minor studies or observations of practice may be carried out. Different working methods may be applied, such as:

critical incidence, in which participants identify critical situations that are most crucial to results or potential failures;
log, in which participants keep personal notes in a logbook about their thoughts, ideas and reflections on experiences in order to put their silent knowledge into words. This logbook may also be used in the evaluation of the circle.
study visits and various types of visits to organisations to observe and reflect

Focusing on actions in practice is an important part of the exercise of gaining knowledge for understanding and new perspectives on development in our daily work. Since the work of a research circle is participatory and practice-based by its very nature, participants are “forced” through a social interaction to analyse and review their own actions, perceptions, values and proficiencies. For example, experiences of ongoing work towards change and measures implemented can be processed using the following methods:

reflective team, in which participants as supervisors discuss and reflect upon a participant’s work without being involved in it,
supervision of each other’s mini-projects to develop practice,
reading of common literature, which is discussed within the circle,
think tanks, in which the point of departure is a question or query drawn from practice which is intended to lead to problematisation and a wealth of perspectives. Statements are reformulated into a question or query which everyone subsequently reflects upon.

"Participants are included in the evaluation in order to allow them to reflect"

The circle may vary between investigative, supervisory, problem/dilemma-based, innovative, or literature-based working methods, for instance, and the opportunity to seek out new forms lies with the group’s participants. It is important that the leader presents different working methods while also remaining open to initiatives from group participants who are in practice responsible for their own learning in the circle. It is important to follow up on actions and ensure that conclusions are drawn from experiences where shared reflections may generate new insights and knowledge.

There may be a dilemma between on the one hand focusing and structuring activities around the circle’s goals and on the other hand ensuring there is an openness to new thoughts and ideas from participants. There will also be personal differences in terms of a need for structure and firm leadership, and it is important to raise this in discussions and during the round-up of a gathering. The fact that there is always a diverse need for affirmation and acknowledgement among participants is also something that may pose an obstacle to other participants’ engagement and ability to be active, which may disrupt focus on the learning. (The section on leadership includes some reflections on this issue.)

C) Closing phase

This phase may take place over the course of several gatherings and can be initiated during the first phase through discussions centring on what the conclusion of the circle’s work should be. This might be a joint conference, documentation in the form of a report or a book, a film, an exhibition or another output that adds value to and makes visible the group’s learning process.

This is of the utmost importance to the quality and commitment of participants’ work.

Evaluations of the circle’s work are important in order to allow for conclusions to be drawn and to expand knowledge about learning within the circle as an educational initiative for adult learning. It is important that the participants are involved in the evaluation in order to allow them to reflect and draw conclusions in relation to continued operational and skills development. An external evaluation is beneficial, although this may be costly and deprive resources from the project as a whole.

In order to avoid any project effect, where a temporary activity results in positive effects during the course of the project but once the project has concluded little has happened in terms of regular activities, there should be a focus on actions and change, as well as the implementation of new working methods. It is therefore worth drawing conclusions from the work of the circle on a continuous basis to ensure that there is sufficient time to take stock of learnings on different levels both in terms of personal skills and activities in practice. The essential interaction between different initiatives where learning circles are part of a wider project counteracts the negative project effect and has a greater impact at an operational level (Lahdenperä, Gustavsson & Lundgren, 2017).