Informal Learning Explored: Insights from Daily Activity Diaries

Informal learning (IL) is increasingly recognised as vital for lifelong learning, yet remains under-conceptualised beyond workplace and institutional settings. In this seminar, Professor Johnny Sung presents a novel analysis of IL using unique diary data collected in Singapore. Moving beyond traditional institutional lenses, the talk introduces a more general conceptualisation of IL embedded across all daily activities. Prof. Sung will also share data insights into the patterns and contexts of IL, exploring what kinds of IL are observed, how IL experience may differ across individuals, as well as when and where IL occurs throughout daily activities.

Professor Johnny Sung was Chair of Skills and Performance at the University of Leicester (2010–2011), having previously served as Senior Research Fellow (2000–2010). In 2011, at the invitation of the Singapore government, Professor Sung established the Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity (CSPP) at Singapore’s Institute for Adult Learning (IAL). CSPP’s research covered diverse topics, including national skills development, job quality, lifelong learning, the design of skills support instruments, and policy evaluation.

Professor Sung retired to the UK in 2022 but remains actively involved in research. He currently serves as a thematic expert on skills policy, supporting the European Commission’s Council Recommendation on implementing Individual Learning Accounts across member states. Additionally, he is an Honorary Fellow at the Centre for Skills, Knowledge, and Organisational Performance at the University of Oxford, and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute for Adult Learning in Singapore. He also conducts collaborative research with the ILO and OECD.