About the specifics of learning undertaken within amateurism

Abstract

Amateurism can be understood as all activities undertaken by an individual within a particular field voluntarily, for pleasure, but also for personal development. From the andragogical point of view amateurism regardless of the field in which it occurs, is primarily a learning space. This article attempts to show the features of this type of learning. The author searched for an answer to the question: What are the characteristics of amateur learning? The analysis of the issue through Antonina Gurycka’s model definition of interests, David Livingstone’s and Daniel Schugurensky’s concept of informal learning and Robert Stebbins’ perspective of serious leisure, led to the conclusion that learning undertaken within amateurism is usually a deliberate and high-intensity activity. It is an essential part of the subject’s everyday life, is active and explorative; it is autonomous and intrinsically motivated, effective and enjoyable.