The Learning Potential of Boundary Crossing in the Vocational Curriculum

Learning in, with, and through the Territory: Territory-Based Learning as a Catalyst for Urban Sustainability

“…In regards to the territory, we searched for (1) concrete physical changes, (2) changes in practices (e.g., in formal practices such as changes in public sector routines to tackle the issue and/or in informal practices, such as stream conservation practices carried out by the inhabitants), and (3) changes and/or increased understanding of the territorial issues. We then correlated these changes to the learning processes that have taken place in the case using the boundary theoretical framework [20,21,39,49]. Therefore, we searched for elements that indicated the presence of (1) boundaries, (2) boundary objects, (3) brokers, and (4) boundary crossings.…”

“…Collective initiatives with this aim demand, however, the integration of actors that act from widely different spheres and employ diverse systems of practice. For this reason, we consider the interdisciplinary notion of boundary-largely used in educational theory [20,21,39,40]useful to understand practical initiatives that integrate multi-actors and the crossing of their boundaries so as to generate learning and desired territorial transformations. Boundary is understood here as a "sociocultural difference leading to discontinuity in action or interaction" [20].…”

“…Boundary is understood here as a "sociocultural difference leading to discontinuity in action or interaction" [20]. Discontinuity is commonly used to refer to actions or interactions that require considerable effort to occur or to situations where people or groups face a problem caused by a difference in practices [21].…”

“…People also play a key role in crossing boundaries. In this process, individuals who participate in different practices and bring elements of one into the other represent the basic level of interaction [21] and have been referred to as brokers, boundary crossers, or boundary workers [47][48][49]. People in those positions face the challenge of integrating elements from diverse boundaries to achieve learning and hybrid situations [39].…”

“…From this standpoint, we argue that initiatives aiming at the transformation of the harsh reality engendered by the degradation of urban rivers must be comprehended not just in terms of the desired concrete biophysical changes they should achieve but as actions embedded in territories that deal with territorial issues and all the complexity conveyed by this notion.The search for solutions to such territorial problems implies collaborative efforts and the crossing of boundaries established by actors that act relatively independently from diverse spheres of knowledge and practice [9,11,[17][18][19]. Such boundary crossing can take place when a group composed of representatives of different social actors act in concert, interact and conduct dialogue, critically reflect together, and collectively learn [20,21] so as to co-create sustainability-oriented solutions to tackle urban river-related issues. In cases of socio-ecologically vulnerable territories situated along riverbanks, particularly in the Global South, there seems to be greater complexity of articulation between a diversity of social actors in solving such issues.…”