ABSTRACT
One of the earliest accounts of ecologies of learning was provided by Urie Bronfenbrenner, whose influential 1979 work The Ecology of Human Development has become one of the most widely referenced accounts of child development. However, this early work has tended to eclipse his more dynamic theoretical systems model, the Bioecological Model of Human Development. Recognising the potential hecticness, instability, and chaos of contemporary life, this later work provides a cohesive, integrated space within which multiple contexts and directions of life can be explored, interrogated, and understood. This chapter deconstructs and elaborates on Bronfenbrenner—s evolving theoretical systems model, focusing particularly on the concepts of the ‘meso-system’ and ‘proximal processes’ to offer insight on learning across the full span of education and life. It emphasises the multitude of narratives negotiated by learners regarding who they are and who they are becoming within contrasting roles, relationships, expectations, and experiences. It highlights how bioecological theory can support navigation through the diverse respectful spaces within which all learners' varied ‘funds of knowledge’ can unfold and grow.
