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Introduction
Learning is often regarded as “the treasure within” (Delors, 1996, p. 18) in the 21st century and lays the ground for lifelong learning in all its variations. One key element of lifelong learning is the workplace: viewing it as a learning environment reveals enormous potential for learning opportunities, enrichments and triggers. Therefore, to perform one’s job at a top level, it is crucial to acknowledge the lifelong learning opportunities inherent to workplaces just as much as the competences they require to face work-related challenges.
Unfortunately, the need for learning does not automatically lead to learning activities. While various studies show how to foster learning processes at work (Kyndt and Baert, 2013; Pylväs et al., 2022), less is known about barriers to learning that hinder the initiation of, complicate or interrupt learning activities at work. This should be a worthy research focus, as no learning leads to the inability to work properly, achieve self-development or reach goals, may they be for the company or oneself. Not knowing the barriers to learning on individual, team and organizational levels within a workplace affects workflow, interrupt learning activities and prevent or complicate professional development (Puhakka et al., 2021). Referring to the current literature, the concept of barriers to learning is indeed wide-ranging and heterogenous. It thus remains unclear what barriers in the workplace are, how they affect learning in particular and what is mandatory to manage them. This paper aims to describe an approach to tackle this matter.
Since the early 2000s, workplace learning research has mainly focused on fostering factors, ignoring the ambivalent potential of barriers to learning. Starting with Alderton’s (1999) work on facilitating factors and the often recalled triple set of confidence, challenge and support, this time period revealed a variety of fundamental research about learning conditions at work (Ellinger, 2005; Eraut, 2004; Nyhan, 2006; Skule, 2004; Van Woerkom et al., 2002). Especially in work areas such as training, learning is considered essential to managing multiple work demands and challenges (Dymock and Tyler, 2018). This could include continuing professional development (CPD), formal trainings and work-related learning opportunities. Daily work situations offer opportunities for informal learning as well, such as when people are searching for problem-solving solutions. Informal learning is also influenced by...