The changing social and educational context requires not only reforms for the educational systems but also the adequate resources and measures to support the professional development of teachers and school leaders (Zhang & Brundrett, 2010). In order to face all social and educational challenges, educational agents need to keep adjusting and improving their practice (Lohman, 2006).

Usually, teachers and school leaders are involved in a variety of opportunities to engage in formal professional development programmes: induction phase, formal in service training, postgraduate studies and use a variety of strategies to update in their profession (Gerhard Huber, 2013). However, informal learning opportunities (i.e. learning without systematic support for learning) are usually the only option for learning at workplace (Van Eekelen et al., 2006; Michaelidou & Pashiardis, 2009). Out of formal structures, teachers and school leaders benefit from a wide variety of activities they undertake during their worktime (e.g. Kwakman, 2003; Lohman, 2006). The studies carried out in the last years are highlighting different aspects related to the informal learning process in school context. For example, they are focused on type of learning used: experimenting, considering one’s own practice, getting ideas from others, and learning by  doing  and  environmental  conditions involved  (teacher  autonomy,  teacher  collaboration, reflective  dialogue,  receiving  feedback,  and  shared  norms  and  responsibility) (Hoekstra,  et al., 2009), the relationship between individual and  organisational learning (Jurasaite-Harbison, 2009), the relationship between informal learning and school structure and culture (McNally, Blake & Reid,2009, Grosemans et al., 2015) and the impact learning have on teachers- behaviour (Eraut, 2004, Hoekstra et al., 2009). Despite these advances, informal learning in school remains still as an underdeveloped field of study. This gap is especially related to the description of the factors involved in informal learning at workplace and how these are able to enhance the professional development of teachers and school leaders.

The present study aims to move forward the analysis of informal learning strategies used by school leaders as part of their professional development.

The paper is framed on the existing literature on: individual and organisational informal learning; the school as a context for informal learning; and workplace learning. Informal learning has often been defined, in contrast to formal learning. Over the past decade, a number of scholars have made inventories of the activities teachers report to learn from during their work (Kwakman, 2003; Lohman, 2006; Van Eekelen et al., 2005).

The authors analysing the informal learning frequently connect it with formal learning, finding the benefits of interconnection between these two types of learning for professional development of school teachers and leaders in the workplace (e.g. Svensson et al., 2004). While formal learning opportunities for teachers is a field in depth analysed (Hoekstra, Korthagen,  Brekelmans, Beijaard & Imants, 2009, among others) interest in informal learning is in ascendance, despite it is difficult to standardize, systemize, and assess. People learn in many different ways, often through social interaction and networks which make informal learning a complex topic of study with implications on the professional development of educational agents.

In this paper and coherent with the objectives of the study and the literature in the field, we will address the following research questions:

-          How school leaders learn in school context?

-          Which are the intrinsic and extrinsic factors contributing to school leaders’ learning?

-          What are the more effective strategies to promote school workplace learning?

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