Transitions and pathways: self-help reading and informal adult learning

Abstract

Through presenting empirical research exploring the connections between popular culture and informal learning, we argue that, as predicted by concepts such as self-directed learning and transformational learning, the experience of transition has a meaningful impact on adult learning. Specifically, transitions encourage adults to engage in learning activities, and they make such activities more likely to be systematic and sustained. We gathered evidence for these claims through qualitative interviews conducted with 134 readers of self-help books relating to health, relationships and careers. Since our recruitment messaging and interview protocol did not mention ‘change’ or ‘transition’, our results provide an excellent foundation for exploring the ways that adult learners themselves connect transitions in their lives with their learning experiences. We found that 53% of research participants had read a self-help book in direct response to a transition that was taking place in their lives. Health-related transitions were the most common. Further, we found that a participant’s status as having undertaken self-help reading in response to a transition influenced the likelihood that the participant experienced a linear learning pathway as opposed to an incomplete or incidental pathway. A total of 69% of ‘in transition’ participants, compared with 48% of other participants, expressed narratives which included clearly defined learning goals, the identification of salient learning outcomes and the description of concrete actions undertaken in response to reading. We found important gender differences among research participants, and concluded that both ‘transitions’ and ‘pathways’ are useful concepts for those interested in understanding informal adult learning.