Lifelong Learning Engagement Research Articles

Toward Sustainable Lifelong Learning: Feedforward Effects of Challenge Recollections on Adult Learning Identity

ABSTRACTLittle research has examined how prior learning experiences influence adult learning attitudes and lifelong learning engagement. We adopted a person‐centric approach to examine past work‐related learning experiences and assessed the effects of recalled challenges on current learning attitudes, intentions, and behavior in the same domain. Surveying alumni from an online master's degree program, we found that recollected challenges from past learning entail multifaceted challenge foci (e.g., curriculum‐related vs. social obstacles). Learners reporting more challenges in curriculum and social dimensions reported less positive attitudes toward lifelong learning, supporting the notion that negative learning experiences may hinder the development of self‐identity as a lifelong learner. Limited support was obtained for predictions about relationships between past challenges and post‐graduation learning intentions and behavior. The person‐centric approach also permits the analysis of past learning experiences that are not well captured by standard assessments of “successful” adult learning.

The motivation to earn digital badges: a large-scale study of online courses

Digital badges as a recognition for learning, can motivate, provide a means to demonstrate credibility and professional development, and allow learners to showcase their skills and interests. They are an important means to recognise non-accredited learning and can be delivered in agile, educational or professional settings. The Open University UK (OU), has issued over a quarter of a million digital badges via their free online learning platform OpenLearn as recognition for completing and passing free, assessed online courses. This study examines data from over 25,000 survey responses completed by learners who had studied a course that offers an OU OpenLearn digital badge. It builds on previous studies and explores badge earning motivation, related demographic profiles and desire for demonstrating achievements. Data supports the key message that digital badges have a role in supporting employment goals and personal fulfilment, and are an important tool in motivating engagement in lifelong learning.

The influence of personality traits on engagement in lifelong learning

ABSTRACT Today, adult individuals must be able to continuously learn and adapt to the rapid changes occurring in society. However, little is known about the individual characteristics, particularly personality traits, that make adults more likely to engage in learning activities. Moreover, few studies have longitudinally and objectively investigated the influence of personality on engagement in lifelong learning throughout working age. This study therefore used longitudinal data (15 years) to examine which personality traits predicted level and long-term changes in learning activities among 1329 Swedish adults aged 30–60. The results from growth curve modelling showed that over the follow-up period, novelty seeking and self-transcendence were both positively related to overall level of engagement in learning activities, although not to rate of change. Regarding specific activities, novelty seeking was related to higher levels of engagement in attending courses, taking on new education, and making occupational changes, while harm avoidance was negatively related to the likelihood of changing occupation. The results of this study underscore the importance of considering personality in relation to engagement in lifelong learning activities. Insights from this study can potentially increase the likelihood of finding methods to promote lifelong learning, which can be beneficial for educators, policymakers, and companies.

Fostering Wonder Through the Arts and Humanities: Using Visual Thinking Strategies in Medical Education.

Philosophers and scientists alike argue that wonder-that emotion or state of consciousness in which one's attention is fixed on phenomena beyond one's comprehension-is the central virtue and driving force of all education. As in general education, wonder is central to all aspects of academic medicine's tripartite mission; a sense of wonder fuels the delivery of humanized patient care, sparks scientific discoveries, and supports engagement in lifelong learning. Despite its importance throughout medicine, developing a capacity for wonder among physicians has not been a stated goal of medical education, and innovative methods to foster a capacity for wonder have not been explored. There is a growing interest in the arts and humanities in medical education, and evidence suggests that these can support the development of a diverse array of clinically relevant skills and attitudes (including close observation, critical thinking, empathy, and tolerance for ambiguity) in medical learners across the learning continuum. However, even the potential of these methods to support a capacity for wonder has not yet been fully explored. In this article, the authors explore how one of the most widely used and studied arts-based learning activities in medical education, Visual Thinking Strategies, can help develop a capacity for wonder among physicians. They illustrate how Visual Thinking Strategies support the central elements of wonder-based pedagogy (i.e., exploration, improvisation, imagination, personal interest, and the ethos of educators) previously developed in education theory.

Lifelong learning measurement scale (LLMS): development and validation in the context of higher education institutions

PurposeLifelong learning has become one of the most interesting areas of research. Hence, the current study was aimed at developing and validating a tool that helps to study how well people working in higher education institutions are engaged in lifelong learning.Design/methodology/approachA review of theories in the literature and experts' consultation were used to develop a pool of items and validate the self-assessment instrument for measuring lifelong learning. The study employed factor analytic methodologies such as principal component analysis, varimax rotation and exploratory factor analyses.FindingsThe study yielded a reliable and valid lifelong learning measurement scale made up of 18 items and four underlying factors that are theoretically supported.Originality/valueThe significant information is that, the current study aimed at developing a tool that could help to measure the engagement in lifelong learning of higher education institutions workers. The study found this tool to be important because lifelong learning is considered essential for personal and professional growth, and having a sound way to measure it can help individuals and organizations identify areas for improvement.

Resisting symbolic violence: Métis community engagement in lifelong learning

ABSTRACT Speaking to the need for decolonising the oppressed, Métis scholar and activist Howard Adams once questioned why many Métis became confused, puzzled, and lived in constant denial of their unique history and culture. His reflection speaks to the ways in which a colonial form of education strategically and effectively erased, subsumed, and demonised Métis realities and peoples through acts of symbolic violence so effective that even the oppressed were misled. This article explores how Métis community members have demonstrated agency in rectifying this situation via a historic review of community experiences, initiatives, and recommendations in education that reflect recent conceptions of lifelong learning as adaptations to significant life events. Across the Métis homeland, political leaders, activists, educators, and community members have collectively worked to respond to educational needs through a variety of initiatives with the restoration of cultural knowledge and pride as a primary undertaking. Reflecting social literacy aims, the Métis are sustaining a tradition of lifelong learning activities that seek decolonising and self-determining goals that help make sense of their lived experiences through a collective approach. Still, the ability to educate others on Métis topics is contingent on powerholders who privilege the current status quo.

Lifelong learning among consumers and suppliers of complementary and alternative methods of health care: A descriptive study of motivational factors and learning sources

The complementary and alternative methods of healthcare (CAM) supply and demand and the learning opportunities in the field of CAM services have been rapidly increasing. The goals of the study were to determine motivational factors behind individuals' engagement in lifelong learning in the field of CAM services and differences in these factors between CAM services consumers and suppliers. Two focus groups and semi-structured interviews were performed. The thematic analysis approach was utilised and social network analysis for the graphical representation and quantification of identified motivational factors. The study identified five motivational factors explaining individuals' engagement into lifelong learning in the field of CAM services that are consistent with socio-behavioural models explaining the motivation for health behaviour modification. The results of this qualitative study form the basis for a further systematic study of the use and increased supply of CAM services.

Lifelong learning among consumers and suppliers of complementary and alternative methods of healthcare: a descriptive study of motivational factors and learning sources

The complementary and alternative methods of healthcare (CAM) supply and demand and the learning opportunities in the field of CAM services have been rapidly increasing. The goals of the study were to determine motivational factors behind individuals' engagement in lifelong learning in the field of CAM services and differences in these factors between CAM services consumers and suppliers. Two focus groups and semi-structured interviews were performed. The thematic analysis approach was utilised and social network analysis for the graphical representation and quantification of identified motivational factors. The study identified five motivational factors explaining individuals' engagement into lifelong learning in the field of CAM services that are consistent with socio-behavioural models explaining the motivation for health behaviour modification. The results of this qualitative study form the basis for a further systematic study of the use and increased supply of CAM services.

Continuing Education for Haitian Nurses: Evidence from Qualitative and Quantitative Inquiry.

Background:There is increasing evidence that to improve nursing practice, nurses must embrace lifelong learning. Research indicates that engagement in lifelong learning positively affects the quality of nursing care, improves patient outcomes, and increases nurses’ job satisfaction. Both lack of standardized initial education and nurses’ limited opportunities for lifelong learning are challenges in Haiti. It is crucial to ensure adequate continuing education in order to support the professional growth and development of Haiti’s existing nursing workforce.Objectives:The objectives of this study were to: 1) assess the continuing education nursing needs and desires of practicing Haitian nurses and 2) contribute to the body of knowledge about nursing in Haiti to help inform practice and policy.Methods:A multimodal needs assessment approach was used, with semi-structured focus groups and written surveys. The results were analyzed, and common themes were identified.Findings:The results were analyzed from 100 surveys and four focus groups (n = 33). Overwhelmingly, Haitian nurses desire continuing nursing education. Major themes include: recognition that continuing education is necessary to provide high quality patient care, continuing education saves lives, and more consistent and standardized initial nursing education is needed. Barriers to participation in continuing education opportunities were also identified.Conclusions:This study was one of the first formal studies that addressed continuing education needs of Haitian nurses. By identifying the barriers to important resources, we hope to continue to collaborate with our Haitian nursing colleagues to build curriculum and improve education programs. We also hope that this research will ensure that Haitian nurses voices are heard and will serve to foster change within the Haitian nursing education system. These results were shared with our nurse colleagues in Haiti.

Recognising, managing and supporting dyslexia beyond registration. The lived experiences of qualified nurses and nurse academics.

While there is a growing body of research on the effects of dyslexia on student nurses, this is not the case for registered nurses. The main aim of the study was to identify how dyslexia might affect registered nurses' engagement in lifelong learning and how lecturers can support them. A narrative lifecourse approach was taken to explore the experiences of 14 registered nurses with dyslexia from across Great Britain and nine lecturers from England and Scotland. In depth interviews were conducted between October 2014 and November 2015. Template analysis of the interview data resulted in four main themes: Recognition of Dyslexia; Impact of Previous Learning Experiences; Teaching and Learning Strategies and Reasonable Adjustments. The study demonstrated that previous learning experiences had an emotional impact on nurses with dyslexia and this affected their engagement in lifelong learning. Despite this, they often sought to challenge themselves and recognised the need to engage in continuing professional development. The support for registered nurses with dyslexia was variable and dependent on the education of lecturers, although wider provision of inclusive approaches to teaching, learning and assessment mitigated this.

LIFELONG LEARNING, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AND HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN THE U.S.

Educational attainment is typically determined by the time one reaches early adulthood. However, its effects on health are cumulative across the life course. The cumulative nature of the relationship between educational attainment and health highlights the need to explore the potential benefits of continuous adult education (e.g., lifelong learning). Thus, we hypothesize that participation in lifelong learning attenuates the effects of educational attainment on health in later life. This study is among the first to examine the association between lifelong learning activity and health with the use of a nationally representative sample of adults aged 50 years and older (2012 Health and Retirement Study; n = 6,829). Structural equation models with bootstrapping were used to examine the mediation effect of lifelong learning activity in the relationship between educational attainment and self-rated health. Results showed that approximately 6–10% of the education effect [95% bootstrap confidence interval (lower limit, upper limit) = (0.033, 0.052)] on self-rated health was mediated by lifelong learning activity [95% bootstrap confidence interval (lower limit, upper limit) = (0.002, 0.006)] even after adjusting for the sociodemographic characteristics as well as major health determinants (e.g., physical activity, smoking, etc.). Findings suggest that engagement in lifelong learning provides an opportunity to promote older adults’ health regardless of formal educational attainment established in early adulthood. Public health implications point to lifelong learning as a potential autonomous and sustainable strategy to reduce socioeconomic disparities in health, which could be incorporated into education and public health policies to promote such efforts.

Meaning in Life and Lifelong Learning: The Case of Turkish Immigrants in the United Arab Emirates

Adults’ psychological well-being is greatly influenced by the meaning they attain in life. A lack of an established meaning in life may cause distress, and urge individuals to indulge in activities assisting in their quest for meaning. Immigration, be it a reason for or a result of the quest for meaning, may seriously affect people’s psychological well-being. A plethora of research has investigated the issues under-privileged immigrants face, with little attention given to professional immigrants’ well-being. These people’s lifelong learning propensities relative to acquisition of meaning in life have not received much attention either. The complementarity between the two can increase our understanding of the psychological and educational needs of professional immigrants. To this end, this research investigated 50 professional Turkish immigrants’ experiences in the UAE. It involved 30 female and 20 male adults with a mean age of 38. Data were collected using two instruments borrowed from the literature on the topic. Results showed that the participants’ scores for presence of and search for meaning were above the threshold level indicating a positive attribute. The participants in the female, mid-adulthood, and greater length of stay categories received higher scores for presence of meaning in life. A weak, positive correlation occurred between presence of meaning in their lives and lifelong learning scores; however, a weak, negative correlation was detected between search for meaning in life and lifelong learning scores. Results are discussed, and recommendations are made to enhance professional immigrants’ acquisition of meaning in life through engagement in lifelong learning.

The relationship between first-year university students’ academic self-concept and lifelong learning tendency

The relationship between first-year university students’ academic self-concept and lifelong learning tendency

Kompetencje a zachowania edukacyjne dorosłych Polaków

Increasing activity in the field of lifelong learning is an important educational goal of the European Union. The rapidly changing environment creating new demands makes it necessary to take action in the field of continuous education. Labour market requirements in the process of evolving towards a knowledge-based society are changing, which is particularly important in the era of population ageing and raising the retirement age. All forms of education: formal, non-formal and informal should gain importance in response to the growing requirements. The situation in Poland is vary unfavourable when comparing the participation in activities related to lifelong learning with other European Union countries. Research indicates various demographic, social and economic determinants of adult engagement in lifelong learning. This study attempts to assess the relationships between the level of competences in various areas and the educational behaviours of adult Poles. The analyses are based on individual data from a national survey on human capital. The crucial purpose, which is to identify interdependences among the considered factors, attitudes and behaviours, is accomplished by selected statistical and econometric methods supported by suitable data visualization techniques.

A three-attribute transfer skills framework – part II: applying and assessing the model in science education

In an era in which information is rapidly growing and changing, it is very important to teach with the goal of students' engagement in life-long learning in mind. This can partially be achieved by developing transferable thinking skills. In our previous paper – Part I, we conducted a review of the transfer literature and suggested a three-attribute transfer skills framework presented graphically as a cube. The goals of this paper – Part II are (a) to investigate the application of the three-attribute transfer skills framework by conducting two studies; and (b) to demonstrate the value of the framework as a tool for design of assignments and assessment of students' transfer skills. In this paper, we have applied the three-attribute transfer skills framework to design assignments and to assess middle and high school students. In order to achieve the first goal we conducted two studies: (1) investigating high school chemistry students in a computerized laboratory setting, and (2) exploring middle school students who were exposed to a science enrichment program. Study 1 took a case-based chemistry approach and included assessment of high school honor chemistry students' transfer skills. In Study 2, we evaluated the transfer skills of ninth grade students who had participated in a science enrichment academic program with emphasis on physics and we compared boys to girls. Findings of Study 1 indicated an increase in students' far transfer skill as expressed by the progress students made in transferring knowledge from chemistry to other science domains and by using more chemistry understanding levels in their responses. In Study 2, we found that the near transfer skill of middle school boys was significantly higher than the same skill among girls who participated in the same enrichment program. Both parts, the review and the three-attribute transfer skills framework (previous paper – Part I) and the research (this paper – Part II), contribute to narrowing the gap between the theory of transfer, empirical research, and the practice of transfer in science classrooms.

Maintenance of Certification and Pediatrics Milestones–Based Assessment: An Opportunity for Quality Improvement Through Lifelong Assessment

Maintenance of Certification and Pediatrics Milestones–Based Assessment: An Opportunity for Quality Improvement Through Lifelong Assessment

How Information Literacy Becomes Policy: An Analysis Using the Multiple Streams Framework

There is growing recognition that information literacy is a critical skill for educational and workplace success, engagement in lifelong learning, and civic participation. To be considered for allocations of financial and human resources, information literacy must become a policy priority for institutions and societies. Although there has been some progress in this area since 1974, when the term was coined, information literacy is not yet a priority for many organizations or governments. There is no published examination of factors that may influence the adoption of information literacy as a policy priority. This article explores aspects of the policy process from a U.S. perspective that can favor or impede the inclusion of information literacy on political agendas. It examines these questions through the multiple streams framework of policy processes. It proposes recommendations to help those who advocate for information literacy to effect policy changes. It identifies areas for research that would help information literacy policy advocates demonstrate need.

Raising expectations or constructing victims? Problems with promoting social inclusion through lifelong learning

Whilst in government, New Labour defined social exclusion as a state of ‘disadvantage’ resulting from individual psychology: namely, low aspirations, a lack of self-confidence or moral deviancy. Engagement in lifelong learning was considered a means of promoting social inclusion and of overcoming such disadvantage. This policy review explores how such a psychological approach to post-compulsory education impacts upon the more traditional educational and vocational goals of the sector. A critical discourse analysis of relevant government documents as well as interviews with key policy makers, suggests that New Labour’s policy may have had the unintended consequence of constructing psychological disadvantage amongst groups defined as socially excluded. A focus upon ameliorating the perceived psychological vulnerabilities of socially excluded groups may risk denying those targeted access to genuine educational provision or may create a culture of dependency upon formal educational institutions.

Rethinking PhD learning incorporating communities of practice

This paper grows from research which focuses on the learning characteristics of PhD students, incorporating communities of practice both during their studies and beyond completion of their PhD, and drawing on theories of adult learning and lifelong learning. It shows how professional discourse enhances academic discourse through student engagement in lifelong learning, and how PhD ‘learners as field experts’ turn into researchers beyond their PhD, influencing their environment and contributing to academic culture and society. We present these insights as a model of adult learning and professional development.

Social exclusion and adult engagement in Lifelong Learning—some comparative implications for European states based on Ireland's Celtic Tiger experience

This paper provides an overview of some of the reasons for the extraordinary growth in what was traditionally seen as a peripheral economy on the Celtic fringe of North West Europe. Learning, innovation and social capital offer important clues behind the story of the Celtic Tiger. However, there is a downside to this story: Ireland continues to rank as one of the most unequal out of a group of 18 industrialised countries. Given the global emphasis on knowledge as central to the enhancement of opportunities at the individual and societal level, we focus on one crucially important equity dimension—that of opportunities for participation by the majority of the population, namely adults, in education and training. The question we pose is: to what extent does Ireland offer a model of a knowledge society for all, as opposed to a knowledge economy for some? We highlight a number of implications and questions which we regard as important for Lifelong Learning in Ireland and other members of the ‘new’ Europe seeking to find the ‘miracle’ formula for social and economic development.