Conceptualized as a learning context three contexts are place for ongoing fieldwork and for case studies carried out in Upper Secondary schools, Nursing education and education at universities. Focus for the ethnographic studies is strategies for organizational and pedagogical development in the three contexts called the scholastic, the profession oriented and the academic learning context (Borgnakke 2010b).

Using ethnographic approaches to explore the learning context concepts of scholastic and practice learning and analysis of formal and non-formal learning situations are placed in the center of research reflections. Further the shifting contexts and learning paradigms are a challenge for the ethnographic framework.

Concerning the ethnographic principle “following the field of practice” the relation between field, context and the on going learning process need to be strengthened though still related to the classic ethnographic approach (Marcus 1995; Borgnakke 1996). Further and in accordance with interpretation of ethnography in Online communities (Leander and McKim 2002, Hammersley 2006, Borgnakke 2013a+b) the need for moving beyond a place-based ethnography is stressed, though we still need the fieldwork to be situated and located in the specific context. In this paper and in research terms ‘following the field’ therefor means following the process of professional learning through the scholastic and professional practical context tracing the flows of learning activities and situations.

On this background the paper will rediscover the ethnographic meaning of the learning process as ‘a process’ as well as clarify the relation to analysis and concepts of learning in professional practices (Argyris, Schøn, Benner, Dreyfus, Engestrøm, Lave, Wenger).

Close to the former empirical findings (Borgnakke 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014) the paper will exemplify the ethnographic meaning of strong process marks related to the context and the discourse of the life world of Academia and Profession. In the analysis the strong marks represent the classic dilemma between the scholastic theoretical and the professional practical approaches to learning. But it also represents the late modern demand of build bridging and of professional handling of conflicts between theory and practice. To come closer to the process of professional learning means in exemplary manner to come closer to the professional action repertoire including handling of conflicts between theory and practice. 

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