This article analyzes methodological aspects of a particular psychological field study on learning. In the first section of the article, it is argued that field studies represent an important approach to psychological studies through their focus on direct, in situ observation of human interaction, spaces and activities in social practices. In the second section of the article, this general point is illustrated with examples from a recent field study on learning. The field study took place from 2001 to 2002, and it was part of a Ph.D.-project on learning in vocational education in Denmark (Tanggaard, 2006). The overall aim of the study was to set focus on the relation between learning, changes in participation and identity among apprentices in vocational education. This article analyses and discusses how: 1) the cross-contextual movements of the researcher in the field study design enabled a focus on the different places for learning in the apprentices’ everyday life; and how 2) the subjectivity of the researcher and 3) her role as apprentice in the field were important instruments for gaining knowledge about the field. © 2006 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
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