Informal Learning In Career Development

Career is the focus of adults' life. It is regarded as a lifetime ideal by the majority of people to achieve self-fulfillment as well as success during the course of career development. In the light of adult education, this research explores informal learning -a significant yet negligible element in the development of one's career. Adopting the constructivism paradigm and quantitative research method, this research offers from a personal perspective a detailed description of career development and informal learning experiences on the part of two participants. Based on the above research, the thesis analyzes the inter-dynamic relationship between informal learning and individual's career development, reveals several elements which affect informal learning in one's career development in order to provide points of reference for those who are entrapped in professional predicament in consequence of one's incompetence to undertake informal learning.Chapter One explains the original intension of research theme, specifys researh issues and defines the key words.Chapter Two introduces the underlying theoretical backgrounds. It consists of the general accounts of both the relative research and theory.Chapter Three elaborates on the involved methodology. It offers an account of the theoretical foundation and the logical train of thought of the qualitative research method involved in the constructivism paradigm. There is also the presentation of the whole procedures from collection and analysis of research materials, report of the outcome to appraisal of the effect.Chapter Four is concerning the analysis of the individual case of participant Y and Chapter Five and Chapter Six are regarding that of the individual case of participant H. Each case is under examination in the accordance with the following sequence: presentation of the story of informal learning, its anatomy and a deep-going exploration.Chapter Seven is conclusion and reflection, which entails the solution to the problems involved in the research as well as introspection on the relationship between the author and the thesis.Despite the varied understanding about career development, there invariably exists an inter-dynamic relationship between the participants' career development and their informal learning.The factors which affect the participants' informal learning in career development are as follows: the understanding about their job, the awareness of working environment, motivation for achievements, interests, attitudes towards profession, the consciousness of informal learning. All the above mentioned factors are in an inter-dynamic relationship with informal learning.