In this chapter, the authors report on a recently concluded research study of the nature of adult informal learning in two local markets in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Through case study research design, the authors explore what adult buyers and sellers learn as they interact in two local markets, who learned from who, and how they acquire the specific learning experiences identified. They examine the factors that drove learning and provide an explanation, a substantive theory of informal learning in the two local markets, which they name Communication, Value, and Profit (CVP).
Although all research involves knowledge production processes; research activities that explore the real life experiences of adult participants are also learning or educational interactions in and of themselves. This article focuses on the author's reflections on two feminist studies that she carried out in Nigeria that support this position. These educational interactions are reflected in her discussion of the framework on which her studies are based, the context of these studies, the identity politics of participants, and the enhancement and limitations (informal and mutual) learning among many participants and the researcher as a participant-observer.
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