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Description
Planning is a collective action, and planners work in increasingly more diverse interdisciplinary teams which involve both experts and non-experts. Learning is an essential component of such interdisciplinary collaborations. In this study, we focus on professional learning as an integral part of everyday planning practice and consider planners as storytellers of this practice (Watson, 2002). Drawing on the concept of “reflection-in-action” (Schön, 2017) and the methodological approach of the field of practical knowledge (Methi, 2023), this paper is built on the analysis of reflective narratives written and discussed by 15 Norwegian planners. Reflective narratives of professionals as a method to explore their practical knowledge have been rarely used in planning literature so far (see Bornemark, 2017 for an exception).
The planners, working both in Norwegian municipalities and private sector, were recruited through a professional network and university courses in continuing education in planning. The participants were asked to write down a situation from their work which had been challenging for them or which they could not easily forget. We used the submitted narratives as points of departure for three focus group discussions. The participants had an opportunity to present their narratives, ask questions to the stories of others and discuss topics emerging from the narratives.
The empirical material of the paper includes both the texts of the reflective narratives and the transcripts of the focus group discussions. We analysed the material qualitatively in an inductive manner. Our findings demonstrate the diversity of the roles planners play, dilemmas they deal with and emotions they experience. Participants reflected upon the scope of their action defined by the institutional and organisational structures. These structures have direct impact on learning: how and where it occurs and who learns from whom.
This paper also discusses the advantages and challenges of reflective narratives as a method to study planning practices. While this method allowed us to get access to deep and rich experiences of planning practitioners, it posed some requirements for the participants who should be willing to spend their time to write down some challenging professional episodes. We found, however, that reflexive narrative holds a pedagogical value for the participants as well and would like to develop such a research method into a didactical tool for continuing education courses in planning.
References
Bornemark, J. (2017). Neutrality or phronetic skills: A paradox in the praxis of citizen dialogues organized by municipal administration. Pedagogika Spoleczna, 3(65), pp. 51–66.
Methi, J. S. (2023). Essay as a critical exploring method. In C. Cederberg, K. Fuglseth, & E. van der Zande (Eds.) Exploring practical knowledge: Life-world studies of professionals in education and research (Vol. 3, pp. 81–94). Leiden: Brill.
Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York : Basic Books.
Watson, V. (2002). Do we learn from planning practice? The contribution of the practice movement to planning theory. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 22(2), pp. 178–187.
| Keywords | planning practices; learning; reflective narratives; practical knowledge; planning system; Norway |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
