ABSTRACT
In most fields of learning and research, there are theoretical positions on the making of meaning. The most fundamental are those of Piaget (1936) and Vygotsky (1934). Drawing upon these traditions, in this chapter the making of meaning is conceptualised in terms of ‘making’ and in terms of ‘meaning’ through an analysis of what constitutes meaning from several theoretical viewpoints, and through exploring what is powerful about ‘making’ in the apprehension of meaning in workplace settings. The chapter draws upon key concepts from Piaget and Vygotsky, even though each criticised the work of the other. So the focus of the chapter is on how meaning is made in the workplace settings that are investigated, rather than on the debate about the relationships between the works of Piaget and Vygotsky as a whole (e.g. see Tryphon and Vonéche 1996).
