Environmental Inhibitors to Informal Learning in the Workplace: A Case Study of Public School Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine environmental inhibitors to informal learning in the workplace. Twenty-two experienced teachers were interviewed and numerous site visits were made to each school where these teachers worked to develop a greater understanding of the ways in which aspects of their work environment inhibited them from engaging in informal learning. Four environmental inhibitors emerged from an analysis of the data: lack of time for learning, lack of proximity to learning resources, lack of meaningful rewards for learning, and limited decision-making power in school management. Implications of these findings for theory, research, and the facilitation of informal learning in the workplace are discussed.