Different learning paths help people discover and develop talents

Formal education alone is not enough to identify and develop a person’s talents, Tallinn University associate professor Halliki Põlda says in a one-minute lecture published by ERR. Interests and abilities can also emerge through hobbies, work, relationships, community activities and everyday problem-solving.

Different learning experiences can reveal different strengths. Analytical thinking may come to the fore at school, creativity and commitment in hobbies, and initiative, leadership or teamwork at work or in voluntary activities. Reflecting on these experiences and linking them can help people recognise their talents, develop them and apply them in other fields.

Psychologist and talent-development researcher Françoys Gagné describes giftedness as potential shaped by a person’s motivation and activities, their surroundings and the opportunities available there. Potential alone is not enough: people also need learning experiences and supportive people and environments.

Formal learning, such as school, offers goals, structure and systematic study. Non-formal learning, including hobby education, further training, youth work and community activities, allows for more flexible choices based on a person’s interests. Informal learning takes place in everyday life, at work and in relationships, often without being planned or consciously recognised.

Research indicates that much professional development happens through everyday tasks, problem-solving, observing others, receiving feedback and working with colleagues. A child might discover an interest in baking while helping a grandmother in the kitchen, develop skills in a cooking club, gain professional knowledge at vocational school and build practical experience at work. These learning paths could eventually lead to the grandmother’s cake recipe appearing on a restaurant menu run by the child, now a top chef.