Teachers' informal professional learning: activities preferences and perceptions of institutional support among Cambodian EFL teachers

Teachers' informal professional learning is increasingly receiving attention among key stakeholders of educational institutions, including school principals, teacher educators and teachers themselves. As professional learning occurs in the workplace, institutional support plays a key role. The study adopted a mixed method approach to investigate preferred informal professional learning activities by Cambodian teachers who teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at a private language school and a public institution. The research also investigated Cambodian EFL teachers' perceptions of institutional support for their informal professional learning in the workplace. Data collection involved a questionnaire to collect quantitative data, together with semi-structured interviews with six teachers who had returned questionnaires, to explore perceptions of institutional support for their informal professional learning in the workplace. While "reflection on experiences" was the most frequently occurring informal professional learning activity, participants who were interviewed also appreciated the benefits and convenience of "learning from others in interaction." The study has also been able to identify a mismatch of institutional support for teachers' informal professional learning. The research findings have led to some implications for institutions to consider.