Peeling the (experiential) onion: A review of the interconnected layers of research on experiential learning in Management Learning between 2010 and 2024

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In an essay published for the 40th anniversary issue of Management Learning, Reynolds reflected on the impact of, and reactions to, experiential learning to teach management. Fifteen years later, in honor of the journal’s 55th anniversary, we delve into the research published since that point to explore how experiential learning is invoked in Management Learning. To this end, we reviewed and coded 45 articles published between 2010 and 2024. This process pushed us to reflect on three different (often interconnected) ways in which experiential learning is examined in the journal, with articles that explore the experiential learning process, center on one or more specific dimensions of experiential learning, and attend to contextual elements that facilitate or hinder experiential learning. We also situate the methods and activities discussed across the sample within the clusters of experiential learning identified by Grain, allowing us to identify areas in which research in Management Learning overlaps with and extends the model. To close, we relate our findings to contemporary debates about experiential learning and education, both within the journal and the field, and propose future research directions.