The paper explores the concept of self-directed learning (SDL) in the workplace. This paper introduces a definition and argument for the importance of SDL, presents conditions that promote SDL, and suggests how future issues and implications should be applied for greater understanding and utilization of SDL in the workplace. The significance of…

This study focuses on the influence of professional training programs on trainees' development. A training program was evaluated through exploring trainees' perceptions of its influence on their skill development. The findings suggest that while professional training programs may be relevant to trainees' needs for career development and life-long…

A college instructor, already experienced as a consultant and trainer in written and oral business communication, became convinced by two students in an executive management training program that gaining an insider's perspective might be exceedingly valuable. A few years later, the instructor got such an opportunity: she became a corporate editor…

Effectiveness of on-the-job training (OJT) in maintenance has become more important in recent years due to increased technological sophistication of military equipment and systems, the diversity of tasks which a service person may be asked to perform, and the need for persons to have skills necessary to move within their speciality area. There are…

This article presents the keynote address of Joseph DiMaria, who retired in June 2004 as vice president for student affairs at the Community College of Rhode Island, at the NEACRAO Fall 2004 annual meeting. DiMaria relates a story that made an impact on his life, reflects on the lessons he learned, and shares some observations on leadership and…

Making training work has always been a critical issue and will become more important in the coming decades. Definitions of effective training range from training that promotes growth and enthusiasm among employees to a bottom-line approach with emphasis on whether the training makes employees produce more. Variables that affect training include…

One focus of a year-long study of West German apprenticeship was the conditions that are most supportive of learning on the job. The study design incorporated two distinctions that the Germans consider critical: manual versus white-collar occupations and size of training firm. Two occupations were studied--auto mechanic and…

As part of a larger research project on workplace learning, a study examined learning at work as it is experienced among product planners in Finland. The study focused on three questions: (1) What kind of experience do employees interpret as learning? (2) What kind of meanings do employees give their action and learning individually and together?…

A 3-year research program on workplace learning was based on action research and involved the gradual implementation of "Work Activity Briefings" every 2 weeks or whenever a major task was to be undertaken at selected construction sites managed by an Australian mining and construction company. The briefings were regular meetings between…

The self- and group-initiated and on-the-job learning activities of low-income women were explored in a study of a small group of low-income mothers living in the greater Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. During the study, the low-income women attended meetings during which a participating researcher documented the women's experiences.…

A study conceptualized bases for learning in workplaces, examining reciprocity between how individuals are afforded access to workplace activities and guidance and how workers elect to engage in what they are offered. These reciprocal bases for thinking, acting, and learning are called "co-participation at work." The contributions that…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on increasing participation in learning that was conducted as part of a conference on human resource development (HRD). "Factors Influencing Employee Participation in Training: An Empirical Investigation" (Reid A. Bates) reports on a mediated model of employee participation in training…

This document contains three papers on informal learning and human resource development. "Workplace Learning Reviewed: Confronting the Rhetoric with Empirical Research" (Rob F. Poell, Ferd J. Van der Krogt) discusses the considerable discrepancy between theory on workplace learning and actual workplace learning-related developments in…