Professional Learning Institute

Action learning is a participant directed and team-based professional  development process in which teachers reflect on their experience and expertise and form partnerships with others in order to act on real school-based problems (an issue, challenge, opportunity or initiative).

Action learning teams meet regularly to work through a cycle of planning, acting, describing and reflecting in order to take action on their identified problem. Their work is often supported by a facilitator who assists the team to remain focused, and a sponsor who ensures the team is able to access the resources it needs to progress. Many school-based action learning teams form partnerships with outside bodies such as professional associations, universities, District Education Offices and other local organisations. They do this to tap into existing expertise which often provides teams with material for their ongoing reflection.

The cyclic diagram shown here highlights the fact that action learning involves anongoing cycle of planning, acting, describing and reflecting in which teaching and learning strategies are planning, implemented, described (& observed) and then reflected upon.

This reflection then leads to further: planning, implementation, description andobservation, and reflection.

It is important to point out that in a typical action learning project, school-based teams work through several "cycles" to address or respond to an issue, challenge, opportunity or initiative.

do this to tap into existing expertise which often provides teams with material for their ongoing reflection.