Informal Learning Opportunities of Middle and High School Students: A Comparative Analysis Based on Selected Variables

This study aims to identify the informal learning resources of middle and high school students and to examine the effects of certain individual, familial, and environmental socio-demographic variables on their İnformal learning opportunities (ILOs). The sample of the study consisted of 1,310 students from grades 5 to 10 in a province located in eastern Türkiye. This survey-based study collected data through the Informal Learning Opportunities Test (ILOT), and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square, independent samples t-test, and ANOVA. In addition to the statistical analyses, effect size values were also calculated to assess the practical significance of the results. The results of this study revealed that middle and high school students predominantly engaged in informal learning through easily accessible sources within their immediate environments. While the results showed no significant differences in students’ ILOs based on gender, notable variations were observed according to grade level, place of residence, living arrangements during the school term, family’s economic status, and parents’ education levels and occupations. Nevertheless, the effect size values calculated based on the statistical results showed that the differences associated with living with family, family’s economic status, father's education level, and mother's occupation were not practically significant. In contrast, the results of the study revealed that among the variables examined, grade level, place of residence, mother's education level, and father's occupation had a practically significant moderate effect on students’ ILOs. Based on these results, it is recommended that educational policies and school practices take into account students’ grade levels, places of residence, mothers’ educational levels, and fathers’ occupations in order to enhance their access to ILOs.