Learning Needs Assessment at Work (LNA): Past, Present and Future

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe and discuss the scientific production on Learning Needs Assessment at work (LNA) in the last five decades (1970 – 2019) through a bibliometric study. Bibliometric and longitudinal reviews on LNA are virtually nonexistent. Therefore, little is known about how LNA knowledge was in the past, is in the present and can be in the future. A survey of scientific articles was conducted in eight globally indexed databases between 2007 and 2019. Only blind review peer journals were utilized. After the application of sample selection criteria, 282 articles were considered valid for analysis. The three quantitative analysis dimensions were demographical, methodological and theoretical, and they were measured by twenty categorical and descriptive variables. In sum, results show that there is a substantial increment in the number of papers on LNA published in the last decade around the world, especially in Africa. Methodologically, it can be said that the studies have made important advances, mainly when it comes to learning needs processes and measures improvements, but there is still an extensive research agenda. On the other hand, it seems that the LNA still have made little conceptual progress since the 1960s. The predominant use of the term “training needs” to refer to skills gaps at work needs to be discussed and reviewed. In the near future, studies need to further investigate innovative theories and methods on LNA, as the application of multilevel modeling, alignment of needs and context/organizational strategy, the use of learning taxonomies, among others.

Necessidades de aprendizagem daqueles que ensinam: construção de uma escala de competências socioemocionais docentes

“…Isso se deve ao fato de que a aquisição, retenção e generalização de CHA não ocorrem exclusivamente de forma sistemática, mas também por meio de outros processos, como os meios informais. Esses meios informais são mais abrangentes e possibilitam a utilização de inúmeras estratégias de aprendizagem (R. R. Ferreira & Schneider, 2020).…”

“…A Análise de Necessidades de Aprendizagem (ANA) consiste, portanto, em um processo sistemático de coleta, análise e relato de informações sobre os fatores internos e externos que impactam a mudança e os desafios enfrentados pela organização e pelos profissionais. A ANA também identifica as competências que os trabalhadores precisam adquirir, quem são esses trabalhadores e quando e como eles poderão aprender (Brandão, 2018;R. R. Ferreira & Schneider, 2020;Pilati, 2006).…”

“…Aspectos internos e externos (como, por exemplo, planejamento estratégico, leis, tecnologia, política e meio ambiente) devem ser considerados. Entretanto, a definição teórica atual se baseia, principalmente, no nível micro, em que o treinamento é a principal estratégia instrucional (Bell et al, 2017;Cotes & Ugarte, 2021;R. R. Ferreira & Schneider, 2020).…”