Attitudes, beliefs and behaviour of lecturers: do they foster a climate of lifelong learning? A case of Papua New Guinea universities

Abstract

Lifelong learning recognizes that learning takes place throughout life and in a range of situations. Papua New Guinea (PNG) education system needs to change its focus on policies related to teaching and learning, curriculum development and assessment and evaluation to develop lifelong learners. PNG Vision 2050 calls for a major transformation of mindsets in its people in the way they think, interact and do business with one another. Lifelong learning principles if taken seriously could actualize the strategic changes aimed in the PNG Vision 2050. The study aims are first to investigate and analyse the Vision 2050 policy and the University policies to establish whether they inform lifelong learning. Second, to investigate and analyse lecturers' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviour to assess whether they foster a climate of lifelong learning. Third, to determine whether the need for lifelong learning; could be adopted and adapted as a key educational policy change in the PNG context. The methodology used the mixed method case study approach using both quantitative data (quantifiable) and qualitative data (text). It involved procedures for collecting, analysing and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study. The argument is that the uses and the 'combination' of both methods provide a better understanding of a research problem that one method alone cannot effectively answer. This study found that the PNG government documents implicitly state lifelong learning but there were no plans in place to do anything about it. For UPNG and PAU, complex issues associated with the teaching of generic skills and their acquisition remains uncertain. The first issue is of definition of the key generic skills. There are differences in terms of how these skills are defined and how a particular skill's significance is interpreted in context. The second issue is the questions raised both theoretically and empirically of the separability of generic and discipline-based skills. The third issue relates to the challenges university lecturers face with the teaching of generic skills within university curricula. Like earlier studies in Australia and the United States of America, this study found that what lecturers claim that they do, does not happen in real practice. As a way forward, education policy changes are required in the PNG education system to promote lifelong learning. The fostering of lifelong learning skills in staff development training programs could transform attitudes, beliefs and behaviour of both lecturers and students to effect these policy changes.