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Article
Publication date: 14 May 2009

Giancarlo Gola

The purpose of this paper is to investigate social workers' processes of informal learning, through their narration of their professional experience, in order to understand how…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate social workers' processes of informal learning, through their narration of their professional experience, in order to understand how social workers learn. Informal learning is any individual practice or activity that is able to produce continuous learning; it is often non‐intentional and non‐structured learning.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed qualitative research methods, according to specific epistemologies such as Grounded Theory, and Inquiry into Narrative. The tool used for data collection has been the narrative interview. The scientific software ATLAS.ti has facilitated the analysis of the contents and the narrative structure.

Findings

The data classified throughout the analysis allow for observing and explaining possible interpretations of informal learning of the social workers. The informal learning process, depending on the level of intentionality, can be random and often appears as a learning process leading to change and improvement, resulting from reflection and awareness.

Originality/value

The paper offers a methodological contribution for narrative data collection and analysis, through elaborating a network of all elements examined within each interview and defining some characteristics and meaning of informal learning in the workplace.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 21 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 10 August 2010

312

Abstract

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 22 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

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