Social Learning Experiences Research Articles

Entrepreneurial learning in extra-curricular start-up programs for students

PurposeThis study focuses on extra-curricular start-up programs for students at higher educational institutions. It explores the social and situated learning experiences of students who participate in start-up programs, as well as how the processes and outcomes of entrepreneurial learning are potentially shaped by this context.Design/methodology/approachThe study follows multiple cohorts of students who have participated in an extra-curricular start-up program managed by three collaborating universities in Greater Copenhagen. The data have been inductively analyzed using semi-structured interviews with students and project managers during and after the start-up program, complemented with project progress reports, observation notes and survey data.FindingsThe analysis generates a grounded, theoretically informed process model of entrepreneurial learning situated in extra-curricular start-up programs. The model depicts how the immersion, comprehension and co-participation in entrepreneurship as social practice subsequently enables students to expand knowledge structures and develop greater self-confidence in performing entrepreneurship. The model identifies three interconnected components that trigger entrepreneurial learning among students, which allow them to acquire two set of competencies: venture creation competencies and enterprising competencies.Originality/valueThe findings offer unique insights into how the social and relational environment influence and shape the learning experience of students, hence filling the research void on entrepreneurial learning in the situated context of extra-curricular enterprise activities. The findings also elucidate how individual learning experiences of students are potentially shaped by the immersion, comprehension and co-participation in entrepreneurship as social practice.

Dopaminergic signaling supports auditory social learning

Explicit rewards are commonly used to reinforce a behavior, a form of learning that engages the dopaminergic neuromodulatory system. In contrast, skill acquisition can display dramatic improvements from a social learning experience, even though the observer receives no explicit reward. Here, we test whether a dopaminergic signal contributes to social learning in naïve gerbils that are exposed to, and learn from, a skilled demonstrator performing an auditory discrimination task. Following five exposure sessions, naïve observer gerbils were allowed to practice the auditory task and their performance was assessed across days. We first tested the effect of an explicit food reward in the observer’s compartment that was yoked to the demonstrator’s performance during exposure sessions. Naïve observer gerbils with the yoked reward learned the discrimination task significantly faster, as compared to unrewarded observers. The effect of this explicit reward was abolished by administration of a D1/D5 dopamine receptor antagonist during the exposure sessions. Similarly, the D1/D5 antagonist reduced the rate of learning in unrewarded observers. To test whether a dopaminergic signal was sufficient to enhance social learning, we administered a D1/D5 receptor agonist during the exposure sessions in which no reward was present and found that the rate of learning occurred significantly faster. Finally, a quantitative analysis of vocalizations during the exposure sessions suggests one behavioral strategy that contributes to social learning. Together, these results are consistent with a dopamine-dependent reward signal during social learning.

Exploring the development of judgement and decision making in ‘competent’ outdoor instructors

ABSTRACT Over the last ten years there has been growing interest in the judgement and decision making (JDM) of outdoor professionals, though research to date has focused on the JDM processes of experts. In contrast, this study examined the JDM of less experienced, competent, but fully qualified outdoor instructors (N = 9) and the development of their JDM skills. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, we identified two overarching themes: Firstly, managing the cognitive load (relating to instructor JDM), and secondly social experiential learning (relating to instructor JDM development). We found these outdoor instructors needed to manage complex situational demands and high cognitive loads, while balancing the safety of their group with the development of their own JDM. We propose that a combination of challenging formative experiences, community of practice interactions, and explicit development of metacognition are essential to outdoor instructors JDM development. Implications for training, and future research are discussed.

An analysis of the reading habits of autistic adults compared to neurotypical adults and implications for future interventions

BackgroundWhile research has consistently highlighted the usefulness of narrative texts for social development, this has not been fully explored with autistic adults. It has long been assumed that autistic individuals lack the social understanding to contemplate fiction, preferring non-fiction. This study aimed to explore the self-reported reading habits of autistic adults compared to neurotypical adults, accounting for higher education demands. MethodsA qualitative design was used, with 43 participants (22 autistic; 21 neurotypical) completing a reading habits questionnaire and subsequent semi-structured interview. ResultsNeurotypical participants tended to prefer fiction, with autistic participants showing no preference between fiction and non-fiction. Four themes were identified from interview data (1) reading material choices; (2) text investment; (3) in-text social understanding; and (4) reading as a social learning device. Both groups reported evidence of empathising, perspective-taking and social understanding while reading. The autistic group additionally reported social learning outcomes from reading. DiscussionFindings contradict prior assumptions that autistic individuals lack the social understanding required by fiction. Instead, findings show that social benefits of narrative texts extend to autistic readers, providing important social learning experiences.

Context, Development, and Digital Media: Implications for Very Young Adolescents in LMICs.

The rapidly expanding universe of information, media, and learning experiences available through digital technology is creating unique opportunities and vulnerabilities for children and adolescents. These issues are particularly salient during the developmental window at the transition from childhood into adolescence. This period of early adolescence is a time of formative social and emotional learning experiences that can shape identity development in both healthy and unhealthy ways. Increasingly, many of these foundational learning experiences are occurring in on-line digital environments. These expanding vulnerabilities and opportunities are being further amplified for young adolescents growing up in low resourced settings around the world. Cultural and contextual factors influence access, use, and appropriation of digital technology. Further, neurobehavioral changes associated with the onset of puberty often coincide with entry into social media and more autonomous use of technology. In low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), disparities in access, use, and appropriation of digital media can amplify prevailing economic gaps, and compound gender inequalities during early adolescence. In LMICs, adolescents are often the early adopters of mobile technology and social media platforms. While the impact of social media on the well-being, particularly mental health, of young adolescents has been a focus of research in high-income countries (HICs), much less is known about the impacts of social media use on young adolescents in LMICs. In this paper, we review what is known about the interaction between digital media and early adolescent development. We highlight crucial gaps in the evidence in LMICs; and describe some hypotheses and areas for future research to address these compelling issues.

Teaching with technology: a lesson from social participation in an online learning community

ABSTRACT Online learning communities (OLCs) offer opportunities to help teachers engage better with technology and develop new skills through a participatory social process. This study investigates the potential of an OLC for advancing teachers’ professional learning in integrating technology into their instructional practices. Drawing on two case studies of teachers, this study provides empirical evidence of how participation in an OLC affected the teachers in their professional learning journeys. Findings reveal that social interactions over the OLC provided learning opportunities for teachers who experimented with new technology tools and gradually gained confidence in sharing their practices. However, teachers rather felt ewuh pakewuh [uncomfortable] in openly expressing their views in the public OLCs. Instead, teachers preferred to have informal discussions in smaller closed OLCs. The study affirms that OLCs provide teachers with a social learning experience where they can collectively engage with each other to generate new teaching and learning ideas.

Study Protocol of a Distance Learning Intervention to Support Social Emotional Learning and Identity Development for Adolescents Using Interactive Mobile Technology.

Background: The maturational period from age 10 to 14—often referred to as very young adolescents (VYAs)—represents a dynamic period of learning and neurobehavioral development as individuals transition from childhood to adolescence. This developmental period presents a window of opportunity for strategic investment to improve trajectories of health, education and well-being among young people. More specifically, neurodevelopmental changes during pubertal maturation influence neural circuitry involved in processing emotions, risks, rewards and social relationships. Technology can be leveraged to create social emotional learning experiences for VYAs and provide opportunities for flexible, distance learning in low-income countries. The aim of this study protocol is to detail how insights from developmental science can be used to inform the intervention design, implementation and evaluation of a distance learning, social emotional learning intervention for VYAs.Methods: This study will be delivered to 500 VYAs in Temeke District, Dar es salaam. Study participants will watch culturally-relevant, animated videos on social emotional mindsets and skills and content will be paired with experiential learning activities over a period of 10 weeks. A nested smart-phone based study will practice learning social emotional skills and mindsets through engagement with multi-media material via the WhatsApp messenger application. Surveys and in-depth interviews will be administered to adolescents, their parents/caregivers and teachers before and after the intervention to evaluate the effect of the intervention on study outcomes.Discussion: This study is among the first to provide results on how to effectively design a distance-learning intervention to promote social emotional learning and identity development within a low-resource context. The findings will provide substantial evidence to inform new intervention approaches that are effective in low-resource contexts and strategies to reach scale among similar programs invested in leveraging technology to support adolescent health and development.Clinical Trial registration: Study registered with ClinicalTrials.gov. Identifier number NCT0445807.

Adapting to the Transitional Stage of the Doctoral Environment: An Autoethnography of Socialization

Aim/Purpose: Adapting to the doctoral environment can be a difficult transition. This article emphasizes the importance of academic socialization as a means of integrating into the doctoral culture and persisting during the initial transition to doctoral study. Background: To address the problem of doctoral attrition, I share a personal narrative of problems and persistence during the first year of doctoral coursework. By sharing my initial resistance to social learning and eventual appreciation of merging the social into the academic, this narrative demonstrates the positive impact of socialization on my first year, thus promoting socialization as a means of acclimating to the doctoral environment. Methodology: This project utilizes the qualitative research method of autoethnography to examine my personal experiences adapting to the doctoral environment and connects those experiences to the larger higher education community. Contribution: Since people often connect more with stories than with numbers, my narrative offers struggling doctoral students an opportunity to see possible aspects of themselves in the lived experiences of someone who persisted, to see that they are not alone with their struggles and understand that supplementing their independent studies with social experiences could be a good way for them to persist in their own doctoral studies. Findings: Although I preferred independent work and significantly underestimated the value of social experiences when entering my first year of doctoral study, peer-to-peer interaction quickly became an essential element in my adaptation to the doctoral environment. Recommendations for Practitioners: Results of this study suggest that even when new doctoral students typically prefer solitary work, they should still seek out social learning experiences as a means of acclimating to the doctoral environment. University faculty and staff should incorporate social learning activities into the first year of their programs to promote socialization of their first-year doctoral students and increase their chances of persistence. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should use a variety of methods to examine the experiences of doctoral students and look at the data in new ways to better understand doctoral student needs and uncover new ideas to assist them. Impact on Society: By sharing storied experiences of struggles and success, I hope to inspire doctoral students to work with their peers and support one another as they try to persist. Future Research: More personal experiences of doctoral students are needed to give us a better understanding of the obstacles they encounter, so we can uncover additional strategies to combat those issues and improve persistence.

Perceptions on the impact of a structured community-based training model in undergraduate medical training during the first phase of clinical exposure: A qualitative study from Kerala.

The new competency-based undergraduate medical curriculum advocates early clinical exposure in medical training for adequate orientation to societal and patient needs. The present study aimed to explore the experiences of medical students about community-based training in rural hospitals during the first phase of clinical exposure. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted among 75 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery students who underwent the training program as part of their undergraduate medical training using "most significant change" technique. The responses collected were analyzed using the inductive approach of thematic analysis. Majority of the participants opined that the program not only has enabled them to better understand their academic learning but also has provided a social learning experience. The student feedback throws light on the potential of such community-based learning programs to inspire the students to become a more humane version of themselves. This study observed that the remote hospital-based training has positively influenced the students.

Reverse Bloom

Bloom’s Hierarchy of learning has been the foundation of formal teaching and assessment practice since the mid 1950’s. This has resulted in higher-quality education outcomes, more consistency in delivery, and better teaching practices. However, mainstream teaching practices and teacher training have focused on the Cognitive domain, with less focus on social development (except for some societies and non-mainstream institutions). There has been little emphasis on the two other domains for comprehensive learning, which Bloom’s colleagues identified as the Psychomotor and Affective domains. These two less used domains highlight the skills and social aspects of being able to influence others and apply the learning in practice to generate value. The imbalance between the three is critical because all three domains play a role in being a competent professional and a contributing member of society, based on the capabilities built in their learning experiences. This paper shares three key new contributions to the learning literature that help address this imbalance: The “Reverse Bloom Learning Framework” (RBLF), a set of principles to guide learning facilitation through the RBLF, and some insights on design of inclusive learning activities (including provision of deeper feedback for better reflection and higher quality learning outcomes). Together these three elements of progressive learning can enable a more balanced approach to learning at all levels. The RBLF includes all three of Bloom’s domains in iterative social learning experiences and reverses the traditional order of Bloom’s learning elements. The author suggests this more inclusive and comprehensive approach enables facilitation of more collaborative learning and that this will generate more competent, confident and capable graduates, who are better equipped to interact in our modern challenging workplaces and our wider world.

Student experiences studying accounting in English as an additional language

Purpose This paper aims to explore the individual and social learning experiences of first-year accounting students studying in English as an additional language. The challenges of these students relating to listening, reading, speaking and writing in English, and the impact of these on their academic outcomes, are examined. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study design was used. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 students, both academically successful and unsuccessful, who had completed the first year. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted and a hybrid approach of deductive and inductive coding was used to interpret the data. This entailed the application of a language skills-based framework of teaching and learning to the first-order process of coding. An iterative and reflective process allowed themes to emerge from the data. These themes, in turn, triggered second-order codes that resonated with aspects of the interactionist approach to second language acquisition (SLA). Findings The themes that emerged indicated that students’ ability to interact with their study material, and their exposure to positive verbal interaction opportunities in both formal and informal contexts, may have contributed to their academic success. Practical implications It is recommended that an interactionist perspective be considered when designing curriculum resources and accounting language learning activities for first-year accounting students. Originality/value It is anticipated that the results will contribute towards building a bridge between accounting education and SLA research and provide a more informed linguistic foundation for incorporating language skills into the accounting curriculum.

A dramaturgical perspective of online university student behaviours in a second year psychology class

This study applies dramaturgical sociology, specifically Goffman’s approach to region behaviour, to explore where students spend their time doing class related tasks in spaces other than the LMS. The context for this research is a case study of a second year psychology class at an Australian university. Data was collected about students’ front stage setting (the LMS) and backstage setting (students’ experiences on Facebook). Over a 12-week semester 126 students were observed in the LMS. During the semester, 21 students completed fortnightly questionnaires about where they spent their time and with whom. At the end of the semester, 14 students participated in online interviews. The findings that emerged from the data illustrated how the characteristics of the audience in each setting, as well as the timing of communication and duration of each setting, may have impacted a student’s social learning experience. This knowledge can help online teachers to understand the characteristics of a setting that might determine where students prefer to situate their learning experience. While this paper uses a dramaturgical perspective of online university students in a second year psychology class, the students’ experiences can generally be used to understand how LMS’s, social networking tools, and collaborative technologies support and impede social learning experiences in higher education.

‘You feel ashamed that you are not in the higher group’—Children’s psychosocial response to ability grouping in primary school

The impact of performative focused agendas on how teachers ‘do’ teaching and how children ‘do’ learning cannot be understated. While research continues to highlight the negative impact of ability grouping on children’s academic and social learning experiences in the classroom, policy imperatives (both global and local) continue to promote ability grouping as an ‘effective’ pedagogic tool for meeting the diverse needs of children, especially in the areas of numeracy and literacy. We argue that this is a symbolically violent process that negatively impacts the psychosocial positioning of children as they negotiate their identities within the figured world of the primary school classroom. This in turn influences their learner identities, as well as their perceptions of their ability to learn. Drawing on data collected with 100 children in three case study schools, we show how ability grouping evoked strong emotional and psychosocial responses characterised by feelings of ‘shame’, ‘upset’ and ‘inferiority’ for those in the low‐ability groups. In contrast, children placed in higher‐ability groups felt a sense of ‘pride’, ‘happiness’ and ‘confidence’. Ability grouping maps a geography of affect within the classroom demarcating not only how children ‘do’ learning, but also how they embody learning through a particular feeling of ‘being’ a learner in the classroom.

Inclusion through folk high school in Sweden – the experience of young adult students with high-functioning autism

Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide a description of the learning environment at Folk High School for participants with high-functioning autism and to examine their learning experience at Folk High School. Methods A qualitative interview study was conducted with 21 participants who were enrolled at Folk High School which had been adapted to suit young adults with high-functioning autism. The interviews were analysed by means of a thematic content analysis which resulted in the identification of 6 themes related to learning experiences at Folk High School. Results The participants enjoyed themselves and felt secure at Folk High School. They felt that they and their academic endeavours were suitably recognised, acknowledged, and understood. They reported that the teaching was suitably adapted for them and they felt that they could succeed in their studies. A frequent report that they made concerned their experience of clear structures in the teaching process and its predictability. The participants stated that Folk High School has the ability to satisfy each participant’s needs, which entailed lower levels of perceived stress than what they had experienced in their previous schooling. The participants experienced personal development during their time at Folk High School. Conclusions Folk High School, and its special character, is able to successfully satisfy the needs of participants with high-functioning autism. Many of the participants, for the first time in their lives, experienced a sense of inclusion in an educational system and felt that they could succeed in their studies. However, there exists a risk that they become institutionalised, which entails that the participants function well primarily in Folk High School’s safe and caring environment. Implications for rehabilitation A supportive environment including both formal and social learning is paramount for people with high-functioning autism. Individually adapted teaching that is structured and predictable improve the conditions under which they can focus on their studies and enjoy academic success. The teachers’ relational competence and ability to show interest in each individual are crucial. Social- and special-pedagogic competencies need to co-exist so as to improve learning conditions. Internship/workplace training can provide an important social learning experience for participants, as they learn about themselves and others and as they develop their social competence. To practice living on one’s own is a significant challenge, but it can create opportunities to learn about one’s self and to develop a sense of responsibility and other social skills.

I don’t need peer support: effective tutoring in blended learning environments for part-time, adult learners

ABSTRACT Given the rise of social media engagement within society, there are challenges for tutors in blended and online contexts to provide opportunities for social constructivist learning experiences within their institutional learning environments. This article proposes a module approach to teaching, learning and assessment for learners undertaking part-time, vocationally related degrees. A mixed methods approach was adopted to conduct a detailed exploration of eight tutors’ practice with data gathered from three principal sources. Interviews with tutors explored their approaches to delivery and considered factors that impacted on quality; students’ perceptions of their learning experiences were assessed using an attitude survey; and an analysis of the content and communications in the virtual learning environment provided insight into tutors’ online practice. Analysis of modules suggested limited online peer-to-peer interaction, with tutors noting the difficulties of promoting engagement. The article argues for a constructivist approach in this context with a need for tutors to promote a simple module structure, focused around assessment, that creates space for learning. This structure appeared appropriate for these learners, enabling them to manage the influence of daily events, together with pressures and time constraints of work. The findings could aid tutors in designing and delivering courses for similar groups of learners.

Facebook class groups of high school students: their role in establishing social dynamics and learning experiences

The study’s main aim was to explore the role of Facebook class groups, created and managed by high-school students, in facilitating social dynamics and learning experiences. Fourteen Facebook class groups were observed online and students were subsequently questioned through focus-group interviews. Our findings show that Facebook class groups can promote both bonding and learning. Bonding can be enhanced because Facebook class groups foster a sense of solidarity and unity among students. Also, Facebook can stimulate (social) learning because students gain more insights in the subject matter and are challenged to carry out an evaluation of their own study methods and progress. Therefore, drawing on the theories of seamless learning and affinity spaces, we conclude that Facebook class groups are important for social affiliation and effective learning.

Reinforcing Students’ Mathematical Skills through Cooperative Learning Strategy

Cooperative learning is an educational approach which aims to organize classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences (Gillies, 2016). There is much more to cooperative learning than merely arranging students into groups, and it has been described as "structuring positive interdependence. Students must work in groups to complete tasks collectively toward academic goals. Unlike individual learning, which can be competitive in nature, students learning cooperatively can capitalize on one another's resources and skills, asking one another for information, evaluating one another's ideas, and monitoring one another's work, (Chiu, 2008). This study aims to find out how cooperative learning through structured and unstructured grouping schemes compare in terms of their effectiveness in reinforcing students’ Mathematics achievement and the difficulties encountered by the students in both structured and unstructured groups. The one-shot quasi-experimental research design specifically the pre-posttest design was employed in the study. Participants of this study were the first year students of the College of Teacher Education of Cagayan State University. Descriptive and inferential statistics like frequency count, percentage, mean and t-test for dependent and independent samples were used to interpret the data. The integration of cooperative learning strategy, either structured or unstructured grouping schemes reinforce the performance of students in Mathematics. However, cooperative learning has far better results when unstructured grouping scheme is employed among students. Since the students find difficulty on simplifying expressions with rational exponents to radicals, composition of functions, solving linear and quadratic equations and solving word problems on linear and quadratic equations; intervention measures such as modular approach in teaching, simulation activities and remedial teaching were suggested to address such difficulties and to enhance the performance of the students in Mathematics particularly in College Algebra.

Does demonstrator relevance affect social preferences and the social transmission of food preferences in female mice (Mus musculus)?

This study examined whether a history of beneficial social learning experiences affects social partner preferences in laboratory mice (Mus musculus) and whether observer mice acquire adaptive model-based social learning strategies through associative learning. We tested whether observers would come to socially prefer demonstrators who provide beneficial information through the social transmission of food preference (STFP), over demonstrators who do not; and whether they would preferentially attend to and learn from such demonstrators. Observers were given repeated exposures to two demonstrators who differed in whether or not they consistently provided beneficial information (which increased observers’ ingestion of food via the STFP). After multiple social learning experiences with a “relevant demonstrator” (our CS+) whose demonstrated food was available for consumption (our US) by the observer and a “non-relevant demonstrator” whose demonstrated food was never encountered, neither demonstrator was preferred over the other. Furthermore, observers learned equally well from both relevant and non-relevant demonstrators. The present findings suggest that adaptive model-based social learning strategies are not followed in the STFP, although we recommend further testing of the social preference hypothesis.

How Different Forms of Social Capital Created Through Project Team Assignments Influence Employee Adoption of Sustainability Practices

Can social capital created through project assignments increase the diffusion of sustainability practices, and if so, what types of social ties and conditions are likely to be most effective in doing so? We use a mixture of survey and qualitative evidence from a social network at a large organization, The Nature Conservancy, to help answer these questions. Our analysis supports the argument that cross-organizational unit ties promote adoption of complex practices by having the benefits of both external and internal ties (i.e., exposure to novel practices and on-the-job social learning experiences, respectively). Specifically, staff learned new sustainability practices from project teammates in other organizational units who were already employing sustainability evidence-based practices. Thus, a practical and cost-effective way to promote organizational learning for sustainability may be to strategically form cross-organizational unit project teams that include sustainability practice innovators. Internal fellowships and short-term assignments may be other effective ways to do this.

Ethical leadership within law enforcement agencies: pedagogical and cultural challenges

Purpose Effective ethical leadership is crucial for law enforcement leaders. Ultimately the presence or absence of ethical leadership has significant implications for society. Yet Western law enforcement agencies (LEAs) invest little by way of time, effort or understanding into how law enforcement leaders interpret and develop a sense of ethical competence for leadership. This is a significantly under-researched area within law enforcement anywhere in the world. The purpose of this paper is to assess, measure and more fully understand how social constructivism, problem-based learning (PBL) and self-reflection assist front-line leaders to learn and internalise ethical reasoning for leadership within a law enforcement environment. Design/methodology/approach The research was designed to assess, measure and more fully understand how social constructivism, PBL and self-reflection assist front-line leaders to learn and internalise ethical reasoning for leadership within a law enforcement environment. Data were collected during a two-day ethical leadership workshop delivered to 13 leaders in supervisory positions from the Australian Border Force and the Australian Federal Police. The pedagogical approach was to blend PBL and self-reflection within a social constructivist centred learning experience and measure changes in the ethical efficacy of the research participants through qualitative and quantitative measures. Findings The research suggests that blending PBL and self-reflection within a social constructivist learning environment can contribute towards law enforcement leaders’ learning and internalising of ethical reasoning. This is demonstrated through the measurement of ethical efficacy both before and after the learning experience, with particular growth evident towards understanding ethical perspectives and concepts. Research limitations/implications Limitations include the fact that results cannot be generalised due to the size of the case study. This is compounded by the fact that much of the data are self-reported and responses offered by the participants are subjective. As a result, much of the data were subject to the attitudes and personal perceptions of the participants thus making the information subjective. Aside from demonstrating an impactful learning approach, this research has highlighted that amongst contemporary Australian LEAs there has been little effort or progress towards finding meaningful and effective pathways to encourage or grow ethical efficacy. Practical implications Given challenges faced by LEAs, both Australian and international, the critical need for investment in learning for ethical leadership is both clear and emergent. Law enforcement ethical leadership learning cannot be satisfied through online learning and other cost-efficient means alone. A face-to-face problem-based and reflective learning environment that combines trust, tools and tension in equal measure offers promise for enhanced ethical efficacy. Achieving this requires significant investment in face-to-face learning utilising high-level facilitation skills. Social implications There is a deep and disturbing malaise within Australian LEAs in relation to ethical leadership development, exacerbated by the dearth of investment directed towards learning for front-line ethical leadership. Australian LEAs sit at the crossroads in relation to their application of ethical leadership learning. Given the recent challenges, if these agencies fail to fully engage with this opportunity, the cost will be unfortunately borne by all citizens. Originality/value The implication is a clear need to understand and establish the most effective way for law enforcement officers to grasp the importance of ethics and in doing so, learn ethical leadership. Understanding how law enforcement leaders interpret and develop a sense of ethical competence for leadership is a significantly under-researched area within adult learning and there is little evidence of similar effort within law enforcement anywhere in the world. The overarching objective of this research therefore was to identify pathways that strengthen and enhance ethical leadership as an enabler towards achieving just and corruption-free law enforcement services for the communities.