Contextual learning
Our learning is shaped by the context, the environment or situation within which it takes place. In entrepreneurship, this often happens in the workplace and through social partic-ipation in social, cultural, industry and other networks. This learning is interpersonal and shared, occurring through people relating and comparing their individual experiences, at work and in other arenas. Through these social relationships and contextual experiences, people create shared meaning, learn intuitively and can develop the ability to recognise opportunities and generate the ideas for innovation.
Contextual learning connects people's personal emergence with the negotiated enterprise, as they learn in their social world 'who they can become' and 'how to work with others to achieve their goals' as well as the realism of 'what can and cannot be'. But contextual learn¬ing can be limiting and discouraging, for if the social context does not encourage innovative or entrepreneurial activity, or is poor in opportunities, people may learn that they have to change their context by leaving it and moving to a different environment.
Questions to help you reflect on your contextual learning are given in each of the three sub-themes: