Choosing a Social Learning Theory to Evaluate Farmer-Led Climate Action Networks: A reflective perspective

Abstract

This article shares my explorations in the search for a social learning theory that could serve as an analytic framework for my research on climate change learning among small-scale women farmers. It also highlights and addresses the concerns of several leading scholars on the lack of clarity and coherence in the articulation of the concept of social learning. Using a theoretical review, adapted from the critical literature review approach, the study traces the origins of three strands of social learning and explores their similarities, diff erences, and relevance in varying contexts. The review found that despite diff erences in disciplinary orientation, all three strands seek to explain the learning relationship between people and their environment. Th e split-off point for the three strands is the conceptualisation of learning and the role of the learner and their environment in shaping the learning process and outcomes. Th rough my exploration, I ultimately identified and adopted the social learning theory rooted in the more recent conceptualisation of Lave and Wenger’s (1991) concept of communities of practice as more aligned with my research question and purpose.

Keywords: developmental psychology, natural resource management climate change, communities of practice social learning theory