The informal learning approaches of teachers in a secondary school in Pakistan

The advocates of informal learning believe that learning is not always necessarily planned rather it could also happen informally in the workplace. Does informal learning equally happen in every context and setting? Using a qualitative approach, this study explores the nature of teachers’ informal learning in a secondary school in rural Pakistan. Data were generated through interviews and observations. The study finds that though limited in nature, there are some informal learning activities which the teachers are engaged in. Most of the informal learning happens through observations of the practices of senior colleagues. Moreover, the teachers also learn from the experimentation through implementing externally acquired ideas and strategies in their classroom. Similarly, media has also been a source of informal learning for teachers in this context. The study concludes that the school has to enhance its links with external sources to create internal informal learning opportunities for teachers