Informal Learning in Secondary VET: The Case of Hungary and Poland

Context: The growing attention to informal learning in the world of work raises new questions and tasks for vocational education and training (VET) research. Our research focuses on observation-based cooperative learning emerging among VET students, and also among VET students and adults who they observe at work in the family, on TV, and on Internet programs. Approach: Our focus group is students, preparing for achieving a vocational qualification at ISCED level 3 in VET schools in some practice-intensive occupations, without direct access to higher education. In a Hungarian-Polish questionnaire survey filled by 131 Hungarian and 110 Polish VET students, we explore the extent of informal learning related to observation and cooperation in the life of the searched students.

Findings: Research shows that the different ways of observing others at work play an important role in the process of learning a profession. The findings also highlighted the importance of friendships and trust among students in this age group, and the strong demand for joint practice. Conclusion: Friendship and the level of trust among students can influence their decisions during training. The results so far suggest that there is greater scope for group work which is favoured by students and so learning from each other in school workshops, than in company settings. The results confirm the intentions of the survey, but further research on a larger sample is needed to draw broader conclusions.