The Research Of The Living Circumstances And Learning Behaviors Of Young Migrant Workers

This research focuses on the living circumstances and learning behaviors of young migrant workers. It adopts qualitative research approach by the close-up interviews of six young migrant workers concentrating on the in-depth and analysis of their work and learning "stories".First, the research draws an outline of the living circumstances and learning behaviors of young migrant workers, who grope, ascend or quest. Those who grope are in the basic state of living and learning of the young migrant workers; those who ascend get into profound state; those who quest get into the extensive state of their living and learning. The research also analyses the factors that cause the living circumstances and learning behaviors of young migrant workers, including the changes and stimulation of social environment, life developmental tasks of young adults and personalities, and so on.Second, the research analyses and induces the features of and the interaction between the living circumstances and learning behaviors.The features of the living circumstances of young migrant workers include: as to their objective learning circumstances, trivial their working circumstances, prolonged working time, poor working conditions and welfare; as to their living conditions, austere and similar everyday life; as to their social contexts, low social status and lacking social security. As to their subjective learning circumstances, they have suffered from discrimination, vilification and fraud in terms of cognition, emotions and so on.The features of the living circumstances and learning behaviors are presented in the motive, contents, styles, approaches and hurdles of their learning.As to the motive, most young migrant workers learn voluntarily. Their motives fall into four types:for the adaptation to their job needs—career driven type; for survival—society driven type; for knowledge—cognitive type; for others—exterior expectation driven type. The motives of most migrant workers are compound and practical.The learning contents of young migrant workers are diploma-oriented or non-diploma-oriented with the balance tilted to the latter. Within the non-diploma-oriented learning, we can find the knowledge or skills for "learning to do", "learning to know", "learning to be"and "learning to live". Their learning is targeted towards their careers.The learning approaches include those in formal learning or informal learning. The former include reading, doing exercises; speaking and practicing; outlining and incorporating; on comprehension. The latter include inquiring after their mentors; learning from colleagues and friends; learning by doing; learning through mass media like books, journals, and internet; learning by reflecting and experiencing; learning from work, and so forth.The learning styles of young migrant workers are compound and vary from person to person, showing discrepancy. However, their learning styles also have a lot in common: they are all involved in formal and non-formal and informal learning, with the last two as the major learning styles.The hurdles in the learning of young migrant workers include those in learning time, learning conditions, and learning support.The interactions between the living circumstances and learning behaviors include the following. Their learning behaviors limit and stimulate their living circumstances. Their learning behaviors improve their objective living circumstances and promote their subjective living circumstances, In addition, most young migrant workers are determined to go on with their life-long learning after their current learning. Thus, we can say life-long learning becomes the by-product of their current learning behaviors.Finally, the research makes a summary and reflection. First, it summarizes the findings of the research; second, it makes clear the implications of the living circumstances and learning behaviors of young migrant workers:they need to transcend their environment, make optimal use of their research available; high school education benefits their further learning; a strong will is significant to the result of their learning. Furthermore, the research brings forth relevant suggestions on promoting adult learning: on the level of society, to create better learning environment; on the level of educational organizations, to protect their learning enthusiasm; on the level of individual learners, to become a learning person. At the end, the author also ponders on the effectiveness, popularization and ethnics of the research.