“I wasn’t Sure How to Answer it…”: Researching Informal Learning in Volunteering Contexts

Abstract

Volunteering provides an important context for adult learning. Learning through volunteering is often unstructured, experiential, and results in tacit knowledge. Informal learning can serve as a useful theoretical framework to explore volunteering experience. Recognizing and researching informal learning presents several challenges due to its often spontaneous and implicit nature. The purpose of this reflective case study is to examine the complexities of researching informal learning in volunteering contexts by systematically analyzing my own experience researching volunteer learning in adult ESL programs. I began by reviewing methodological literature related to researching informal learning. After presenting a description of my mixed-methods research project, I described the findings from a reflective case study in which I identified three areas of methodological considerations in researching informal learning: tailored participant recruitment due to diversity in organizations, the challenge of measuring informal learning and outcome, and the impact of volunteer learning on the service recipients and community. This study offered practical implications for adult education researchers and practitioners who are interested in examining and recognizing informal learning through volunteering.