Imfundo yabadala yinqubo lapho khona abantu abadala bengenela khona imisebenzi eqhubekayo yokuzifundisa ukuze bathole ulwazi olusha, amakhono, imibono noma ama-value. Lokhu kuchaza noma yiyiphi imfundo abadala abayingenelayo ngaphandle kwesikole esivamile, okubandakanya umkhakha wokuqala ukufunda ukubhala komuntu okuyisisekelo noma ukuqhubeka nokufunda komfundi impilo yakhe yonke. Ngokuqondane nalolu daba, imfundo yabadala ikhombisa ifilosofi eqondene nokuthize maqondana nokufunda kanye nokufundisa ngokulandela ukuthi abantu abadala bangakwazi ukufunda futhi bayafuna ukufunda, nokuthi ukufunda ngokwakho kumele kubhekane nezidingo zabo. Ngokugqugquzelwa yilokho okudingwa ukufundwa ngumuntu noma umuntu afuna ukukufunda, amathuba akhona, kanye nendlela umuntu afunda ngayo, ukufunda komuntu omdala kubandakanywa yindlela isizwe esihleleke ngayo, njengobuningi babantu ezweni nobulili (demographic), ukuhlobana kwamazwe nezimakethe zamazwe omhlaba (globalisation), kanye netheknoloji. Ukufunda kwenzeka ngezindlela ezehlukene futhi ngaphansi kwezimo ezehlukene njengoba nezimpilo zabantu abadala zehlukene. Ukufunda kwabantu abadala kungenzeka ngaphansi kwezimo ezintathu, Isibonelo sazo nazi lapha ngezansi: Formal – Ukufunda okuhleliwe okwenziwa ezikhungweni zemfundo noma zoqeqesho, ezivamise ukuba ne-curriculum ehleliwe kanti futhi lapho khona abantu abafundayo abathola izitifikedi ezibonisa ukuphasa abakufundile; Non-formal – Ukufunda okuhlelwa zikhungo zemfundo kodwa ezinganikezelwa izifikedi ezibonisa lokho abantu abakufundile.