Learning through experience, its potential, mechanisms and connected phenomena

This thesis aims to illuminate the potential for personal growth in learning through experience. The paper also tries to describe the principles of learning and connected phenomena and the mechanisms, through which its acteurs gain the option to achieve personal growth. To support its theoretical claims, an observation has been conducted in the duration of circa four months among three after-school activity groups. The observed phenomena have then been interpreted in terms of theoretical concepts of learning, experiencing, the dynamics of small groups and personal growth provided earlier in the paper. Based on the observation, a system of "learning situations" has been constructed and its characteristics and mechanism, through which its acteurs can achieve personal growth, explained. Key words: Learning, social learning, group activities, free-time activities, personal growth, leadership, social attachemen