since it most frequently takes different groups of people into account, focuses on clearly defined goals and is versatile in terms of structure and methods Moreover, non formal learning is relevant to the needs of disadvantaged groups for instance Roma community as the biggest marginalized group in EU, disabled people, people who are the members of LGBTQ, migrants etc. What we can understand from this, non formal learning is generally based upon being volunteer to have it. This learning type may take place in a variety of locations such as camps, sport clubs, art classes, theatre clubs, especially in non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations and in their voluntary activities meaning that everywhere out of a formal setting. In daily life, you can see the examples of non-formal learning around everywhere. It does not necessarily follow a formal syllabus or be governed by an external accreditation or assessment, so it does not lead the learner to a certificate in the end of the process. Non-formal learning is intentional from the learner’s perspective.”Īs we understood from these two quotations, it derives from the conscious effort of the learner to master a particular activity, skill or area of knowledge and is consequently the result of intentional effort. It is, however, structured (in terms of learning objectives, learning time or learning support).

Second, Cedefop, EU defines non formal learning as “learning that is not provided by an education or training institution and typically does not lead to certification. Now, lets look at two different – but close – definitions of non formal learning:įirst, we will look to the definition of the establishers of this learning type, Coombs and Ahmed claims that non formal learning is any organized, systematic, educational activity carried on outside the framework of the formal system to provide selected types of learning to particular subgroups in the population, adults as well as children. Afterwards, different theorists such as Rogers, Kolb or John Dewey, in various disciplines, have supported those idea and even improved by saying learning instead of education. They were convinced that education can no longer be limited to time-bound and place-bound school settings or quantified by exposure years, and concluded that education could be equated with learning “Independently of where, how or when the learning takes place”. The first to use the term ‘non-formal education’ were Coombs and Ahmed (1974). ORGANIZATION: TÜRKONFED – Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation Article Project “YOUth Ambassadors of Non-Formal Learning”

What is non formal education