Abstracts - Earli

and learning, and to identify the geneses of these dispositions in individuals’ ontogenies. Theinvestigation here comprises an integration of ethnographic-type and problem-solving studies ofvocational practitioners. It found that, beyond energising human capacities, the practitioners’subjective dispositions also are central to the constructive process of individual meaning makingand the remaking of cultural practices. Moreover, these dispositions were identified as beingsourced in individuals’ life histories and in ways that emphasise a negotiated interdependencebetween the personal and the social that represents an ongoing, yet accumulative, processthroughout ontogeny.Quality of informal feedback as predictor of learning at the workplaceHans Gruber, University of Regensburg, GermanyMaria Bedane, University of Regensburg, GermanyHelmut Heid, University of Regensburg, GermanyIn educational science, the interest in analysing learning at the workplace has been increasing for anumber of different reasons. Some of these result from assumptions which take a macroperspective, some are based on micro perspective arguments. The macro perspective oftenincorporates theories from business administration, organisational theory, and human capitaltheory. Respective arguments focus on changes in society, economy, or on organisational change.For example, the dynamics of the market as well as new technological developments indicate thatthe banking industry is in transition. The whole class of business has to adapt to new requirements,and it is argued that employees face the challenge of adapting to such changes and thus to learncontinually. On the other hand, the micro perspective focuses on how individuals subjectivelyperceive and react on changes in their immediate workplace environment. For example,individuals perceive changes in daily working tasks and routines, and after more or less deliberatereasoning, they decide whether to engage in problem-solving activities or not. It is not trivial thatthe need for workplace learning is judged similarly from both perspectives. We present and test amodel that allows to predict individuals’ activity in workplace learning. The model includes bothchanges of the workplace on a macro level and aspects of subjective processing. In particular, weargue that the quality of informal feedback subjects receive at their workplace influences theirperception of self-determination and, thus, their participation in workplace learning activities.I 430 August 2007 14:30 - 16:30Room: -1.62SymposiumUnderstanding the role of external representations in supportinglearningChair: Erica de Vries, University of Grenoble II, FranceOrganiser: Erica de Vries, University of Grenoble II, FranceDiscussant: Shaaron Ainsworth, University of Nottingham, United KingdomThere is good empirical evidence to show that the external representations that learners look at andinteract with have a strong influence on what they come to understand. However, there is littleagreement about why these so called representational effects occur and researchers from different– 480 –