From Explicit Insights to Tacit Learning: A Multiframework Analysis of NBS Evaluation in Malaysian Sponge City Planning

Abstract

This article re-analyses expert survey data from two Malaysian case sites where sponge city concepts were newly introduced to examine learning-related patterns within a participatory evaluation of nature-based solutions (NBSs). The study applies an integrative analytical framework combining Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle, Pahl-Wostl's Triple-Loop Learning, and Wenger's Communities of Practice to interpret cognitive, institutional, and practice-oriented dimensions of expert responses. The recoding analysis suggests a predominance of Abstract Conceptualization and Practice-oriented dimensions, indicating a strong emphasis on codified technical reasoning. Indicators associated with reflective, relational, and higher-order institutional learning appeared less frequently. While these patterns cannot be interpreted as direct evidence of social learning, they provide insight into the types of learning orientations that structured expert-based evaluation methods may be more likely to capture. The findings highlight both the strengths and limitations of survey-based participatory approaches. Structured evaluations can support systematic technical assessment and knowledge synthesis but may provide more limited insight into experiential, relational, and context-specific forms of knowledge. Methodologically, the study demonstrates the potential value of using multiple learning frameworks as a diagnostic reinterpretation tool for participatory evaluation data. More broadly, the results contribute to discussions on how expert-led assessment processes shape the forms of knowledge that become visible within climate adaptation planning.