Teacher learning as workplace learning

Attention in teacher professional development programs for situating teacher learning in the workplace has increased during the last decades. This article presents an overview of what is described in recent educational workplace learning literature about facilitating and constraining conditions of the workplace. These findings are discussed from the viewpoint of general workplace learning insights. Although workplace learning potentially has several advantages, the six workplace factors identified for learning to occur, also show the complexity of teacher workplace learning and several potential problems. It is argued that not all learning “at work” is good, and a balance is necessary between individual and organizational learning, and off-site and on-site learning.