Towards an understanding of learning in research project management: A practice view approach of an education research domain in Singapore

In the study of project management, there has been a suggestion to consider learning as a means to address complexity nature of projects. However, most past studies see learning as another external activity to the practice, reducing the notion into something that requires control. Learning under such a notion will not be able to account for complexity in projects, especially ones that are due to uncertainty and emergence.

Against this as the backdrop, this study sought to uncover the notion of learning in the practice of project management. The study focused on the research domain, given that projects under such domain are generally associated with complexity in the form of uncertainty and emergence. The study adopted the qualitative methodology of the practice approach to examine the practitioners’ actions and responses to situations in their natural work settings.

Based on the findings, this study identified three types of learning embodiments in the project management practice of the practice site, reflecting the three broad practices that exist in the research domain. Moreover, the findings indicate that the practitioners could have enacted these learning aspects as parts of the project management practice at two different stages: assessing and navigating. During the assessing stage, the practitioners could enact these learning aspects as they considered their needs of the three broad practices, their awareness of the practices, and their awareness of situational factors that affect the needs or hinder them. The enactments of these learning aspects could also occur during the navigating stage as the practitioners engaged in the three broad practices.