Ray Butch D. Mahinay In my view, there are no boundaries as they are interrelated to each other.

As a teacher in both the regular Senior High School and the ALS Senior High School of Bocboc National High School, I see the clear differences between formal, non-formal, and informal education. Formal education is structured and follows the standard curriculum, just like what we do in the regular SHS classes. Non-formal education, such as ALS, is also organized but more flexible, it gives a chance to those who cannot fit into the regular classroom setting. Informal education, on the other hand, happens naturally through daily experiences, like learning from family, work, or even online videos.

These differences also show in various learning environments. In face-to-face classes, formal education is classroom-based, while non-formal is often modular or held in community learning centers, and informal learning happens anywhere. In digital spaces, formal learning is done through official platforms and assessments, non-formal through flexible modules or webinars, and informal through YouTube, TikTok, or online communities. In hybrid setups, the three often overlap, since students may learn through a mix of classroom instruction, online support, and personal experiences. For me, recognizing these differences helps me appreciate the many ways our learners gain knowledge, whether in the regular classroom or through alternative and everyday learning. Ray Butch D. Mahinay

Education, as I understand it through both study and experience, unfolds in three connected areas: formal, non-formal, and informal. Formal education is the most structured. It relies on institutions, standardized curricula, and credentials that open doors to jobs and further studies. Non-formal education is organized but offers flexibility to respond to life situations. This is where programs like the Alternative Learning System (ALS) in the Philippines shine, providing second chances for those left out by traditional schooling. Informal education occurs quietly in daily life, through family, peers, work, culture, and digital platforms. It imparts values and practical knowledge that may not get official recognition but are deeply transformative.

These categories are not rigid walls but fluid boundaries that learners move across. Formal education offers recognition and stability. Non-formal education builds bridges back to learning. Informal education supports growth throughout life. In the Night School Program—ALS, this interaction is evident every day: learners return for credentials through ALS, bringing skills gained from work, parenting, or self-learning online. What arises is not a hierarchy of systems but a living ecosystem of education, where structure, flexibility, and real experiences come together to shape human resilience and opportunity.

In today’s landscape, the differences among formal, non-formal, and informal education look different across physical, digital, and hybrid settings. In physical environments, formal education fills classrooms with structured curricula and assessments. Non-formal learning often happens in community and workplace programs. Informal learning flourishes in daily interactions within families and cultures. In digital contexts, formal learning appears in massive open online courses. Non-formal education shows up in webinars and modular programs, while informal learning takes place through the organic exchange of knowledge on social media and online communities.

Hybrid environments blur these lines even more. Blended classrooms combine face-to-face teaching with digital platforms. Systems like the Alternative Learning System integrate flexible, multi-modal delivery. Informal learning also spreads into hybrid forms, where apps, forums, and lived experiences support traditional schooling. It becomes clear that digitalization changes all modes. It standardizes the formal, expands access to the non-formal, and democratizes the informal, though not without risks of inequality. Learning is best seen as a continuum that adapts to the social and technological changes around us.

In today’s evolving learning ecosystems, the once-clear lines of formal, non-formal, and informal education have become more porous. Digital and hybrid methods blur these distinctions. This change is evident in ALS programs that bring together community-based facilitation (non-formal), structured modules delivered via digital platforms (formal), and learners’ experiences at home (informal). For scholars and practitioners, this convergence urges us to move past seeing education as separate silos. Instead, we should view it as a dynamic continuum—fluid, interconnected, and responsive to diverse learner needs and changing societal conditions.

1. The key distinctions among formal, non-formal, and informal education are clear in their structure and purpose. Formal education is well-structured and systematic, where it follows a set curriculum where learners simply progress through the established path. Non-formal education is more flexible and community-based, such as the Alternative Learning System. Informal education, on the other hand, comes from everyday experiences and interactions. It shapes a person’s values, skills, and principles through learning outside of formal or organized systems.

2. These differences are very evident in today’s learning environments. Education now takes place across various platforms that respond to modern needs. Formal education has adapted to blended learning. Non-formal education is visible in training sessions and workshops that are available to teachers, learners, and community. On the other hand, informal education has expanded through digital spaces and social media, where students and individuals can freely access knowledge, skills, and experiences from people around the world. With the internet providing vast information, learning today has become more accessible and continuous beyond the classroom.

I am a Senior High School teacher in DepEd, which is part of the formal education system. To be honest, I don’t know much about ALS yet, but I do know that it is a type of non-formal education. Like formal schooling, ALS follows a curriculum and can lead to certification. In fact, I have several Grade 12 EIM students who completed their Junior High School through ALS, and their certification was one of the requirements for enrollment. On the other hand, informal education is very different from both formal and non-formal education. It doesn’t follow a set curriculum, is unstructured, and learning happens naturally through everyday experiences, interactions with others, or from media and the ALS Program also provides opportunity for learning through Informal Education

Education can be understood through three different lenses: formal, non-formal, and informal learning, each with its own unique characteristics and ways of shaping how we acquire knowledge and skills.

Formal education is what most people typically think of when they hear the word "learning." It happens in structured settings like schools, colleges, or training institutes. Here, the learning process is planned and organized, with a clear curriculum, set schedules, and professional educators guiding students. The goal is usually to gain qualifications or diplomas, and learners are assessed through exams and grades. This kind of education is usually rigid in timing and content, and it’s often pursued with external motivations like earning a degree or qualifying for a job.

Non-formal education, on the other hand, offers more flexibility and caters to different needs and interests. It’s organized and intentional, but less rigid than formal education. This might include things like community workshops, adult education classes, online courses, or clubs and groups focused on specific skills or hobbies. While non-formal education can sometimes lead to certificates, it isn’t always recognized in the same official way as formal education. It’s often driven by personal interest or community needs and tends to allow more learner autonomy and varied ways of learning, like hands-on experiences.

Informal learning is the most spontaneous and natural form of learning. It happens all the time, anywhere—in conversations with friends, through trial and error at work, by watching videos online, or simply by exploring the world around us. It’s unstructured, without set goals or formal recognition. People engage in informal learning mostly out of curiosity or immediate necessity, not because they’re looking to earn a certificate or fulfill a curriculum requirement.

These distinctions play out differently depending on whether learning happens in physical, digital, or hybrid environments. In traditional physical settings, formal learning occurs in classrooms with teachers and schedules, non-formal learning might take place in community centers or clubs, and informal learning happens naturally in daily life—whether through family, peers, or work.

Digital environments have expanded these modes tremendously. Formal learning now includes fully online degree programs with accessible lectures and assessments. Non-formal learning thrives through webinars, interactive workshops, and community forums, offering people chances to learn new skills in a more flexible, sometimes self-directed way. Informal learning has skyrocketed thanks to the vast availability of online videos, social media discussions, and gaming communities that foster learning without any formal structure.

Hybrid environments combine the best of both worlds: formal education might blend online lectures with in-person labs; non-formal learning could mix face-to-face workshops with online sessions, and informal learning can flourish through digital chats and collaboration across distances.

With technology continuously evolving, the lines between these types of learning are becoming more fluid. Formal settings now include social and project-based learning features to boost engagement, non-formal approaches use digital tools for personalization and inclusivity, and informal learning proliferates in every digital corner, turning daily life into a continuous classroom.

Each mode co-exists and overlaps with the others, and the boundaries can blur, especially with the rise of personalized, flexible, and technology-enabled learning. The context, learner needs, and objectives drive which approach or combination is most effective.

In essence, while each type of learning serves different purposes and operates under different conditions, together they create a rich tapestry that supports lifelong learning in diverse and dynamic ways.

In the context of Philippine Education, Formal education refers to the systematic schedule, well-structured curriculum, and is frequently evaluated and assessed and learners are in regular school age. The learning environment is also classroom-based, facilitated by a teacher and a daily monitoring of attendance . Non-formal education on the other hand, to mention ALS and Open High School Program, offers a flexible schedule, the fact that these platforms of education is designed for adults who are working and out-of-school youth who at life's circumstances cannot attend Formal Basic Education and wanted to pursue education. Though the competencies are the same with the Formal Education, still aligned with DepEd's learning standards, however, it is adapted to learners' pace and situation through home-based modules.

Informal Education, the third form of education is not structured, non-classroom-based and has no fixed schedule and does not follow learning standards and competencies. This type of education comes from daily experiences, multimedia platforms, community, family and the whole societal environment. No formal certification like diploma and recognize certification. Nevertheless, informal education plays a crucial role in developing practical skills, values and attitudes. Some life lessons that cannot be taught in formal and non-formal schooling.

These educational platforms differ in learning environments in physical, digital and hybrid. In formal schooling, there is fixed seating arrangement, structured and teacher-facilitated lessons, uses online platforms like g-classroom, MS Teams, digital exams and e-learning materials. Also utilizes on-site / face-to-face classes with digital tools.

Non-formal type of education conducts few sessions in a week in small groups might be done in barangay halls or community learning centers. Uses modules in printed or in digital form in PDF. Depending on the strength of internet connectivity, consultations can be done through video calls. The modular print plus the occasional online support and community meet-ups, is a testament that non-formal education utilizes hybrid environment.

On the other hand, physical environment where the informal type of education happens at home and the interaction and participation in the community. Learning and socializing through various social media platforms, and participation in today's digital era is straightforward and manageable. Hybrid in the sense that one can learn through practice by using online resources.

There are different learning systems that can be found in the educational system and these are: formal, informal, and non-formal systems. It is very important to differentiate the key differences between the three.

According to Johnson and Majewska (2022), the most widely practiced form of education in schools is formal learning. This type of learning has a well-defined structure and usually takes place in educational institutions. In Cloke’s (2021) article, this includes a very specific curriculum that structures what the students need to know and learn in a specific school year. Learning also happens with a certified instructor who facilitates the learning that occurs. Since formal learning takes an intentional learning approach, assessments and certifications are given at the end of the year to check the students’ understanding and whether they were able to meet the standards of the curriculum that would allow them to move to the next grade level.

This is different from informal learning wherein the acquiring of knowledge, skills, and attitudes is not within the confines of a formal structured classroom. Outside the classroom, informal learning takes place in many settings, from households and workplaces to any location conducive to gaining knowledge. Without the aid of a teacher, the students learn at their own pace which gives them the freedom to choose which topics to learn and when to learn it. It is self-directed and self-paced and without any specific syllabus.

In Gonzales’ (1997) article, non-formal education enables individuals who were unable to participate in the formal education system to acquire the skills necessary for employment and livelihood. It does not serve as an entry point for students to enroll in higher education levels but rather prepares them to be functionally literate and to compete in the labor market. This includes livelihood workshops and seminars which are usually organized by their barangay centers.

These differences can manifest when applied to physical, digital, and hybrid classrooms as they are able to offer opportunities for students to acquire knowledge and skills. Formal learning in a physical setup happens inside the classroom with teachers facilitating the learning, and the topics follow a standardized flow based on a specific curriculum. Digitally, formal learning may also be applicable by using a Learning Management System (LMS) that would allow the teachers to provide synchronous discussions of the topics set in a curriculum. Hybrid classrooms can also be a way for formal learning to happen by teachers providing digital tools for students to use to complete their assignments but having onsite discussions as well.

Informal learning may happen in a physical environment through organic interactions such as kids having conversations with different people who can provide them with knowledge and enhance their skills. The digital environment can also help provide opportunities for informal learning by watching videos on YouTube or other websites, reading blogs, and participating in an educational online community where they are able to exchange ideas. The hybrid environment will allow students to converse with their peers and learn from them as well as using digital tools that could enhance their classroom experiences.

Non-formal education may manifest in a physical environment through attending onsite workshops or seminars that are focused on developing lifelong skills that they can use for employment. This may happen in different areas of their barangay which is organized by a legitimate organization. In digital platforms, this can also manifest in online workshops or seminars geared to develop the skills of an individual that would help them in the labor force. With these online workshops or seminars, the learners can choose which one fits their interest that could help them earn certificates which can be useful in the future.

Hence, learning can happen anywhere, and learners have various opportunities to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills that they need to have as they navigate in this VUCA world. This also poses a challenge to create systemic changes and improvements in our educational system to use the resources (especially technology) which are globally available to create a learning environment where students are given accessible opportunities for different learners.

_______

Cloke, H. (2023, December 19). What is Formal Learning? Growth Engineering. https://www.growthengineering.co.uk/what-is-formal-learning/

Gonzales, M. S. (1997). Non-formal Education in the Philippines: A Fundamental Step towards Lifelong Learning

Informal Learning: definition and application. (n.d.). The OR Briefings. https://oxford-review.com/oxford-review-encyclopaedia-terms/informal-learning-definition-application/

Johnson, M., and Majewska, D. (2022). Formal, non-formal, and informal learning: What are they, and how can we research them? Cambridge University Press & Assessment Research Report

Drawing from my experience as a Junior High School (JHS) teacher for four years and now as a college instructor, I have come to appreciate the distinct interplay of formal, non-formal, and informal education in the shaping of the different learning experiences of my students.

In formal education, it follows a more structured and systematic approach to teaching and learning. In my JHS teaching. I followed the Department of Education’s prescribed curriculum with its standards and competencies. Now in higher education, I still operate within the formal framework through syllabi, institutional outcomes, and standardized evaluations. The defining characteristic of formal education is its systemic structure and standards.

On the other hand, non-formal education is still organized, but is more flexible in scope and delivery. As a high school teacher, this took the form of journalism training, academic clubs, and other co-curricular activities that were intentional but not strictly graded. In college, I encounter it through workshops, role-play activities, and seminars/symposia that enhance learning beyond the typical classroom. This approach is structured that is focused on skill-building and enrichment.

Finally, informal education is the least structured but often the most organic. I saw this among high school students who learned discipline, collaboration, and problem-solving from peer interactions or casual exchanges. In my current teaching, I notice how college students engage in informal learning online—through social media discussions, YouTube tutorials, or sharing resources in group chats. These instances highlight that significant learning also happens spontaneously and independently of formal systems.

These differences become more evident across physical, digital, and hybrid learning environments. In classrooms, formal instruction happens, while non-formal and informal learning occur in co-curricular activities and peer interactions. In digital spaces, formal education is reflected in online modules or tasks and other interactions in Learning Management System (ours is GSuite) and virtual lectures, non-formal learning occurs through webinars and skill-based online programs, and informal learning thrives in social media engagement and self-directed learning. Hybrid environments blend all three, offering structured courses alongside flexible workshops and organic peer-to-peer learning. In my case, this is my hybrid learning at Xavier University.

From my perspective, formal education provides the necessary foundation and structure, but non-formal and informal education enrich learning by making it more practical, adaptive, and holistic.

Each mode co-exists and overlaps with the others, and the boundaries can blur, especially with the rise of personalized, flexible, and technology-enabled learning. The context, learner needs, and objectives drive which approach or combination is most effective.

As school leader I oversee the curriculum offering and ensure that our students and teachers have adequate opportunities for community engagement and service learning to apply their competencies and skills, and live out our school's vision, mission, and core values.

With the Alternative Learning System program offered/implemented in our school for kasambahays and out-of-school adults, I saw the interplay of formal, non-formal and informal education. Hence, I can say that the distinctions among formal, non-formal, and informal education revolve around their structure, intent, delivery mode, recognition, and how learning is experienced. These differences appear across physical, digital, and hybrid environments in unique ways.

Formal education happens in schools and universities, following a clear plan and leading to official certificates. Non-formal education is more flexible, like community workshops or online courses, focused on personal interests without always offering formal qualifications. Informal education is the everyday learning we do naturally—through conversations, work, or exploring online—without any set structure.

These types of learning show up differently depending on where and how they happen. In classrooms, community spaces, or through digital platforms, they shape how we grow and learn throughout life. Together, they create a rich, interconnected learning experience that adapts to our needs and environments.@Ray Butch D. Mahinay

The boundaries between formal, non-formal, and informal education are increasingly blurred in today's digital age, creating rich hybrid learning ecosystems that challenge traditional educational categorizations. Formal education, exemplified by structured university courses with curricula, assessments, and credentials, now incorporates informal elements like YouTube tutorials and peer discussion forums, while maintaining its systematic approach to knowledge delivery. Non-formal education, such as professional development workshops, online certification programs like Coursera courses, or community-based skill training, bridges the gap by offering structured learning without the rigid institutional framework of formal systems. Informal education occurs naturally through daily experiences: a student learning coding through GitHub collaboration, acquiring language skills through social media interactions, or developing critical thinking through podcast discussions and online debates. The practical reality is that modern learners seamlessly navigate all three modes simultaneously; for instance, a university student might attend formal lectures, participate in a non-formal coding bootcamp on weekends, and informally learn through Stack Overflow discussions while working on projects. Educational institutions are recognizing this convergence by incorporating experiential learning, allowing credit for prior learning experiences, and creating flexible pathways that acknowledge knowledge gained across all three domains. The challenge for educators is to design learning experiences that harness the strengths of each mode while ensuring quality, relevance, and meaningful assessment that reflects the holistic nature of contemporary learning journeys.

In my journey at Philippine Christian University (PCU), I have witnessed firsthand how formal, non-formal, and informal education each serve unique purposes, yet ultimately converge in shaping holistic learners.

Formal education in PCU is most visible in our structured graduate and undergraduate programs. As an academic leader and mentor, I have seen how clearly defined curricula, accreditation standards, and degree pathways provide students with discipline, progression, and recognition that equip them to thrive professionally. The rigor of structured trimesters, faculty loading, accreditation with Accrediting Bodies, and the delivery of programs like the PhD in Business Management or Development Administration are classic hallmarks of formal education at work.

Non-formal education has also become a vibrant part of PCU’s mission. Our extension programs, transnational education initiatives in Papua New Guinea, Qatar, and Korea, and community engagements reflect how organized but flexible learning opportunities uplift learners outside the strict classroom system. For example, capacity-building training for site coordinators, livelihood workshops, and short-term skills programs demonstrate PCU’s commitment to widening access to relevant learning. These may not always result in degrees, but they transform lives by being responsive, practical, and inclusive.

Informal education, meanwhile, is what I see constantly flowing in the culture of PCU. It manifests in mentoring conversations, student organizations, worship services, choir practices, and even spontaneous peer collaborations. Faculty and students alike grow through Bible studies, coffee-break discussions, or social media knowledge-sharing. These are unstructured yet powerful, creating values formation, networking, and inspiration beyond what the syllabus prescribes.

QUESTION 1: I only distinguish formal from informal. About non-formal education I never considered it, but I recognize that happen every day, for instance, in the school, outside the classroom that really happen. I don't know what are the impacts. I only can imagine.

Formal education: following a plan focused on the content and trainning skills;

Informal: following a strategic educational plan focused on skills, developing and implementing prototyping projects;

QUESTION 2:

I'm struggling with informal training (education), trying to understand the impacts and how can we implement them in the school environment. I believe that, to happen, we need to bring professionals, enterprises and organizations to be part of the students education in a holistic perspective. We call it flexible learning spaces (we run a biannual conference about this, in Portugal, Lab Aberto Bootcamp 2026, lababerto.pt).

Why it's difficult?

1. For a school it's a strange "body";

2. Teachers are very good at formal education, so an informal, or flexible learning space, should not be a competence for a teacher: that's not their "business": they were not trained for that;

3. A flexible learning space it's expensive and hard to maintain;

So, the differences between them is the strategic mindset. The formal doesn't have it, while in the informal we have to use it!

Hope my comments helped you!

Best

I think they are what you can justify them to be. There will never be consensus.

The tripartite model of formal, non-formal, and informal education is not merely a taxonomy; it’s a conceptual framework that helps us understand how, where, and why learning occurs — especially critical as digital and hybrid spaces increasingly blur traditional boundaries.

Key Distinctions Among Formal, Non-Formal, and Informal Education

1. Formal Education

• Structure: Highly institutionalized, curriculum-driven, hierarchical, and credential-based.
• Objectives: Standardized outcomes, certification, progression through levels (e.g., K–12, university degrees).
• Delivery: Teacher-led, scheduled, assessed via formal mechanisms (exams, grades).
• Example: A university calculus course with syllabus, lectures, homework, and final exam.

In Mathematics Education, formal learning ensures foundational competencies and logical progression — e.g., moving from arithmetic to algebra to calculus — with accountability through standardized assessments.

2. Non-Formal Education

• Structure: Organized but not necessarily institutionalized or credential-bound. Flexible in timing and delivery.
• Objectives: Skill development, enrichment, community engagement, often learner-centered.
• Delivery: Workshops, clubs, MOOCs (without certification), math circles, coding bootcamps.
• Example: A weekend “Math Olympiad Prep Club” for middle schoolers.

Non-formal settings in math often foster deeper conceptual exploration, creativity, and problem-solving beyond standardized curricula — think math circles or project-based STEM camps.

3. Informal Education

• Structure: Unstructured, spontaneous, embedded in daily life or self-directed exploration.
• Objectives: Incidental, interest-driven, often without predefined outcomes.
• Delivery: Peer conversations, YouTube tutorials, games, museum exhibits, tinkering.
• Example: A teenager learning modular arithmetic through cryptography videos on YouTube.

Informal math learning is where curiosity thrives — learners often engage with complex ideas (like fractals or game theory) because they’re intrinsically motivated, not because it’s on a test.

Manifestations Across Physical, Digital, and Hybrid Environments

Physical Environments

• Formal: Traditional classrooms, lecture halls — teacher at front, desks in rows, whiteboards, textbooks.
• Non-Formal: Community centers, libraries, science museums — flexible seating, hands-on exhibits, facilitator-guided but not instructor-dominated.
• Informal: Cafés, parks, homes — learning through conversation, play, or observation (e.g., calculating tips, estimating distances).

Physical spaces still anchor ritual and social presence — especially important in mathematics for collaborative problem-solving and embodied learning (e.g., using manipulatives).

Digital Environments

• Formal: LMS platforms (Canvas, Moodle), synchronous Zoom lectures, automated grading — replicating structure virtually.
• Non-Formal: Discord math communities, Khan Academy “mission” pathways, Desmos activities — organized but self-paced and optional.
• Informal: Reddit threads (r/learnmath), TikTok math hacks, interactive simulations (e.g., GeoGebra applets) — driven by curiosity, often algorithmically surfaced.

Digital spaces democratize access but challenge assessment and depth. A student might “discover” eigenvectors via a 60-second TikTok — powerful for engagement, but potentially shallow without scaffolding.

Hybrid Environments

• Formal: Flipped classrooms — video lectures at home, problem-solving in class; LMS + in-person assessments.
• Non-Formal: Online math competitions with local meetups; virtual math circles with optional face-to-face sessions.
• Informal: Using a math app on a tablet during a commute, then discussing it with a peer IRL — seamless blending of contexts.

Hybridity is where boundaries dissolve most productively. A student might first encounter a concept informally (YouTube), deepen it non-formally (online forum), then formalize it (school assignment). This “learning trajectory across contexts” is the future of math education.

Implications for Mathematics Education

Final Thought

In mathematics — a discipline often perceived as rigid — the interplay of formal, non-formal, and informal learning is essential for developing not just procedural fluency, but conceptual depth, creative reasoning, and mathematical identity.

The most powerful learning environments are those that honor structure without being constrained by it — where a proof learned in class is later explored through a podcast, debated in a Discord server, and applied in a homemade game.

Let’s design for permeability. Let’s teach for transfer. And above all — let’s recognize that math is not confined to classrooms, but lives everywhere learners dare to wonder.