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This study aimed to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) anxiety on multi-dimensional 21st-century skills and lifelong learning among undergraduates. A quantitative method using a correlational research model was used to examine the relationships between AI anxiety, 21st-century skills, and lifelong learning levels, considering various demographic and educational variables. Data were collected from undergraduates in educational faculty programs in Kyrenia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) during the 2023-2024 academic year. Findings revealed a moderate level of AI anxiety among students, a strong perception of possessing relevant 21st-century skills, and a moderate recognition of the importance of lifelong learning. Significant differences in AI anxiety were observed based on gender, with females reporting higher anxiety levels. Age, country of origin, university, faculty program, class level, GPA, use of AI-based products or services, and daily internet use for professional development also influenced students' 21st-century skills and lifelong learning levels. No significant correlations were found between AI anxiety and the other constructs, while a moderate positive correlation was identified between 21st-century skills and lifelong learning. These findings emphasize the importance of fostering 21st-century skills for lifelong learning and suggest that AI anxiety may not significantly impact students' skill acquisition or learning behaviours.

Many years of lived experience supervising PhDs and other research-based higher degrees provides the contextual background to reflections on practice and conceptual underpinnings to a specialised branch of adult continuing education for professional managers within industry contexts. Special Attention is focused on the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) as a research education experience for adults occupying senior management roles. Their seniority and underlying motivation combined with extensive knowledge and practical experience required a different approach from supervising mainstream PhD students. Much that was learned advising them was readily transferred to younger PhD students, to confirm the validity of approach. The research education process was dedicated to extending the boundaries of knowledge in the long tradition of the PhD. One important difference, however, was more emphasis on practical application of research outcomes. This key difference will be explored further. Attention is focused on the key features of a practical approach to advising such adult learners with strong industry backgrounds. It was very much a learner-centred, customised approach focused on what they wanted to know and their explanatory rationale. In addition to being academic scholarship it was also about how new knowledge was to be applied in workplace and industry settings. The antecedents of my approach to advising senior-level adult learners are also explained as conceptual background. My approach was informed by ideas about the adult learning process rather than as a subject discipline specialist. A background in liberal adult education shaped my practices advising doctoral researchers. The agreeable metaphor was to approach the PhD research process like going on a mutual and shared learning journey.

The aim of this article is to examine the reasons for participation in courses that are offered by public education centers within the scope of lifelong learning, and the level of satisfaction of trainees, focusing on Hozat Public Education Center. Since the study aims at determining the reasons why trainees take part in the courses as well as their levels of satisfaction objectively, it was designed on the basis of relational survey model which is a quantitative research model. The population of the research consists of 767 trainees that participated in the courses between the educational term of 2021-2022 (those courses were offered between 01.01.2022-30.06.2022), and the sample consists of 352 trainees some of whom were reachable, and the others that could be selected by simple random sampling method. The data was collected through "Trainee Satisfaction Questionnaire" and "Questionnaire on Reasons for Course Participation" that the Ministry of National Education offers to the trainees in public education centers. As the measurement scores demonstrated normal distributions, parametric tests were used to analyze data. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between scores from the surveys on the reasons for participation in courses and satisfaction levels of trainees. Analysis showed that there was a low level of positive correlation between the scores of surveys on participation reasons and satisfaction levels of the trainees (Crobach's Alpha=0.29). There was not a meaningful correlation between the scores of the trainees' satisfaction with the courses and the reasons for attending the courses and trainees' sex, educational levels, professions, or occupations. According to the findings, men and women participate in courses that the Public Education Center offers at a similar rate. However, the satisfaction levels of men and women with the courses, and their thoughts on participation reasons are slightly below average. This finding clearly indicates that public education centers should be enhanced and supported in line with their aims.

The purpose of this paper is to explore ways to cultivate learners who can take part in inquiry, discussion, and action toward realizing an equitable society from the perspective of the SDGs and ESD. After confirming the importance of dealing with the concept of and the issues around equity with consideration of the mutual interdependence among all 17 SDGs, the paper notes that the "inclusive and equitable quality education" mentioned in SDG 4 is assumed to be achieved by the integrated improvement and organization of a variety of aspects, such as educational environment, policy, systems, budget, teachers, and competency development. Next, based on the importance of competency development of all learners through ESD, the paper demonstrates the potentials of objective-referenced assessment for ESD. Finally, the paper proposes a tentative idea on a set of objectives for lessons on equity from the perspective of ESD, as a useful way to develop school-based curricula of quality ESD at each school and to promote effective lessons on equity to prepare learners who can attain the necessary competencies and take part in inquiry, discussion, and action toward realizing an equitable society

The study aims to design a socio-scientific issues (SSIs)-based electronic learning (e-LM) design framework. It is anchored to the SSI occurrences in teaching Science at a State University in Batangas province, Philippines. This SSI-based e-LM design framework will guide the e-LM development for teaching Science socio-contextually through flexible learning. The explanatory sequential mixed method design addressed the study's goal. Initially, the existing SSIs in the science course curriculum were analyzed. Significant insights into the occurrence of existing SSIs, such as the appropriate teaching approaches, suitable teaching strategies, assessments, and e-LM design structure, were identified. The resulting least occurring SSI identified and factors affecting their existence comprised the salient features of the proposed e-LM design framework. Findings showed that lifelong learning issues, ethical issues, and sustainability issues were almost "no occurrences at all" SSIs in the analysis. These identified SSIs became the priority SSIs in e-LM design framework. Significant insights showed that flexible learning and socio-contextualization are suitable teaching approaches. Meanwhile, the teaching strategies that were found appropriate in the SSI inclusion include brain-netting, discovering scientific ideas, e-collaboration, and reflective thinking evaluation. The e-LM design framework proposed is called Brain-DeCoR e-LM Framework. Applying the proposed e-LM design framework in teaching Science will encourage science facilitators to situate priority SSIs in teaching Science. This results in creating a balance in SSI inclusion. The least occurring SSIs, which are the priority SSIs, are given into focus. Furthermore, the proposed framework will aid students in learning science beyond the content, developing their skills, and enhancing their environmental concerns and social awareness.

This study involved 51 Chinese universities from the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking 2021. With based the resource-based view (RBV) as a framework, it aimed to identify the determinants of human resource capital that were related to universities' production of MOOCs. Three determinants were detected--size, lifelong learning, and proximity to the political centre. Both size and proximity to the political centre proved to be significant. The findings provide timely implications for university managers and suggest that the variety of management spaces be expanded to increase the portfolio of high-quality Chinese universities that facilitate the production of MOOCs. In addition, universities should increase their proximity awareness to remedy the disadvantages of uneven resource allocation due to geographical proximity.

Higher education is immersed in unpredictable environments and is facing challenges during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It needs to adapt to external changes constantly, especially to the level of development of science and technology as the most important component of education courses for future engineers are facing development difficulties within achieving their goals as the core of higher education. Curriculum serves as basis for realization of goals of higher education and curriculum for future engineers needs updating. The paper analyzes dilemma of updating of higher education curriculum for future engineers within its content and structure. During the learning process students participated in curriculum renewal and accelerated the upgrading of curriculum content and structure. Finishing the course, students conducted reflection, improved their understanding during the reflection process continuously that helped them to develop the habit of lifelong learning. The authors propose to expand teaching methods for the courses, to adapt engineering courses to the needs of economic development during the COVID-19 pandemic, to strengthen students' interaction and participation, to supply multiple participation in curriculum "customization" countermeasures to update higher education curriculum for future engineers.

Education plays a pivotal role in societal development and nation-building, particularly in the 21st century, marked by rapid changes and globalization. Ensuring quality education that meets the needs of both the job market and national development is paramount for Thailand's vision of becoming a "Stable, Prosperous, and Sustainable Country" as outlined in its 20-year National Strategy (2018-2037). Within this framework, the Primary Educational Service Area Offices in the Office of the Basic Education Commission are tasked with providing essential educational services. However, various challenges, including resource inadequacy and service delivery issues, hinder their effectiveness. This research aims to investigate the components of the excellent service provision of the Primary Educational Service Area Offices in the Office of the Basic Education Commission, along with analysing the desired conditions, and the essential needs for providing excellent service. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including literature review, expert consultations, questionnaire development, and data analysis. The research methodology has been conducted in two phases. Phase 1 of the research focuses on identifying the components of excellent service provision through a literature review and expert consultations. Six core components, including (1) the Development of Personnel Service Providers, (2) the Development of Service Procedures, (3) the Relationships Management with Service Recipients, (4) the Service Quality, (5) the Establishment of Service Culture, and (6) the Service Environment, Technology and Facilities, are identified and validated by the nine qualified experts. Phase 2 involves assessing the current conditions, the desired conditions, and the essential needs for service provision. Data collected from a sample group of 620 individuals across 124 Primary Educational Service Area Offices reveal high levels of current conditions and the highest levels of the desired conditions. The most essential need identified is the Development of Personnel Service Providers. The findings suggest that policies should be implemented to promote the development of personnel service providers and support the implementation of identified components for excellent service provision. Additionally, further qualitative research is recommended to compare service levels among different educational service areas and develop tailored models for excellent service provision.

With the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japanese higher education (HE) began the process of full digitalization in the academic year 2020. Considering that Japanese HE was previously dominated by face-to-face learning, the efforts of the stakeholders to implement digitalization deserve praise. However, digitalization has shown varying degrees of progress, both in terms of the type of education as well as between and within organizations. This study investigates the status of HE digitalization in Japan focusing on central government policy measures, the teaching and learning by faculties and students who are the traditional bearers of education, and the concept of lifelong learning and continuing education, which is exponentially attracting attention as a new area of study. This research also examines how those involved can use digitalization to improve HE and the goals and challenges of the transformation. Although the measures against the impact of the pandemic on the education sector greatly improved the digitalization of education in universities, other essential issues for educational reform became apparent. To take full advantage of the benefits of digitalization, it is necessary to reexamine the factors that hinder it, such as the changes in awareness among stakeholders, and take immediate measures to address them. In this context, dialogue is extremely important. The stakeholders should discuss how digitalization can enhance the value of university education.

The lifelong learning strategy is one of the most significant strategies suggested for bringing up modern persons in the appropriate circumstances. This study attempts to identify, in terms of several characteristics, the lifelong learning tendencies of the Turkish language, literature, and Turkish teacher candidates. 297 students studying Turkish Language and Literature as well as Turkish Teacher Certification at a university in the east of Turkey make up the study's sample in the survey model. The Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale (Gür Erdoan & Arsan, 2016) was used to gather the research's data. The information gathered throughout the study was analyzed using four distinct methods, including frequency, percentage, t-test for independent groups, and Kruskal Wallis H test. The statistical software package SPSS for Windows 22.00 was used to analyze the data. The study's findings revealed that, when it comes to gender-related factors, female teacher candidates had stronger lifelong learning tendencies than male teacher candidates. It was discovered that teacher candidates who read books frequently--every day, every other day, and once a week--had better propensities for lifetime learning than those who read books just once a month. It was found that teacher candidates with stronger dispositions toward lifelong learning studied scientific/academic, personal development, adventure, novel/story, and literary genres. Additionally, it was discovered through the research that there was no significant difference in the lifelong learning tendencies of teacher candidates about factors like age, the department or major of science they studied in college, the grade level they studied in, family income level, the education levels of their mothers and fathers, and preferred reading model. In general, it was found that teacher applicants scored extremely well on the lifelong learning tendencies scale when it came to their responses regarding their degrees of willingness to learn and grow over time.

The present study investigates the students' perceptions of applying performance tasks based on the GRASPS framework, exploring and seeking to explain the relationships between these tasks and English language learning. Data was collected over one semester in 14 public secondary schools in Ecuador, and it consisted of a questionnaire applied to 283 EFL students and two focus-group interviews with 12 EFL learners. After receiving a two-week workshop, sixteen Ecuadorian EFL teachers planned three units following the three stages based on the Backward Design Model (Wiggings & McTigue, 2005); however, this study focuses on the students' perceptions of the GRASPS framework. Overall, the students showed high levels of awareness of the benefits of developing performance tasks based on the GRASPS framework. The main benefits encountered by these students were improving English skills, fostering creativity, and autonomous and lifelong learning. Subsequently, the primary takeaway from this study proposes applying the GRASPS framework as a potential support for EFL learning. Theoretical and practical implications are presented, and further research suggestions are provided.

The purpose of this study is to analyse the relationship between the self-perceived employability of engineering students and graduates and their employment situation. Methodology: A total of 505 individuals participated in this study, including recent graduates and senior students from five engineering programs at a public higher education institution in Colombia. This research adopted a quantitative methodology with a non-experimental cross-sectional design and a correlational scope. The data were analysed using inferential statistics. Findings: Based on the results, perceived employability considerably depends on four factors: the level of job performance, the number of promotions, work experience, and the education-job relationship. Originality: In the current labour context, employability is an important tool for graduates who are entering the labour market and must face a variety of challenges, such as the decline in work opportunities, the rapid development of technology, and the need for lifelong learning. According to the literature in the field, employability is significantly influenced by these kinds of external factors.

Most students in higher education at present are 'digital natives.' They use technology in every facet of their life, including their education. They learn from formally organised courses as well as from informal learning. Hence, informal learning has been identified as crucial for the sustainability of higher education in the current global context. Technology facilitates informal learning and, thus, has made substantial changes in how learning occurs in modern age learners. These changes that occurred in the learning process due to the influence of technology should be addressed by the educational approaches used in higher education to achieve the best outcomes in relation to the academic performance of students and students' satisfaction. This commentary presents an educational approach: 'Connective Alignment' for higher education in the digital age, which can fulfil the learning needs of the learners in this digital age.

This study aimed at investigating the level of science teachers' understanding of the science passion in Jordan in the light of some variables (experience and qualification), the population consisted of (460) science teachers' for the basic stages of government schools and the sample of the study consisted of (235) teachers' selected randomly. The study followed the quantitative descriptive approach and a test of 27-statement was applied. The results concluded that the mean of science teachers' understanding of science passion was weak, and there are no statistically significant differences regarding teachers' teaching experience and qualification.

The objectives of the study are (1) to examine the draft of learning activity package for developing learning management by experimenting the package with thirty non-formal education teachers in Bangkok and (2) to examine the learning activity package by expert evaluation. The research instruments for the first objective were: (1) the pre-test and post-test for evaluating learning management competency (2) exercises for evaluating learning management competency. The results found that learning achievement of the non-formal education teachers after participating in the activities was significantly higher than before participating in the activities at 0.05 level. They could design local curriculum and write learning activity plan through the specified criteria accounted for 53.33%. The examination on the experimental results of the learning activity package by nine experts; nonformal education administrators, non-formal education/lifelong education experts and learning management experts. The effectiveness checklist forms; validity, appropriateness, feasibility and usefulness were used. The expert results in the package parts were shown that, the highest score of the package was the objective part with the mean of 4.39, followed by the unit content part with the mean of 4.25 and the pre-test part with the mean of 4.17. The lowest score was the learning media and PowerPoint with the mean of 3.97. The results in the package qualification were shown that, the highest score was the package validity with the mean of 4.14, followed by the package usefulness with the mean of 4.12, the package appropriateness with the mean of 4.11 and the package feasibility with the mean of 4.08.

This research focuses on the survey and study of building architecture built in approximately 1932-1992, in Nakhon Nayok Province, Thailand with the three research objectives: (1) to study modern architecture buildings in Nakhon Nayok that reach the criteria of modern building value for conservation and lifelong learning, (2) to create a roster of modern buildings in Nakhon Nayok by studying the distinctive features of architecture and its historical, social, economic, educational, and other valuable significances; and (3) to create a valuable buildings database according to modern architecture criteria, to be uploaded to the micro-phishing system, and to publish modern architecture conservation database in digital and photographic files as the database of Nakhon Nayok. The main features of the buildings are consistent with the nature of modern architecture that shows the structure importance, and the use of technology of various materials which shows the advance construction technology in those days. The buildings are as simple as a box. They are useful, respond to the public, worth to society and culture, and contain of historical significance. From the survey and study in Nakhon Nayok, it was found that there were 43 buildings reaching the criteria of modern building value for conservation and were saved in the database in accordance with the micro-phishing model. The details of 43 modern buildings are presented in a digital file format and photo database of modern buildings in Nakhon Nayok to propagate the modern architecture conservation database as a lifelong learning resource for the benefit of interested people.

This longitudinal case study from a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) perspective touches upon an under-researched issue: L1 development over the lifespan. Levinson (1978) predicts three stages in adulthood: early, mid and late, with a decline in late adulthood. We examine Diane Larsen-Freeman's publications over a period of 50 years (from age 27 to 77) and trace seven complexity measures--three lexical (density, sophistication and diversity) and four syntactic (mean length of sentence, finite verb ratio, dependent clause per T-unit and complex nominals per clause)--to investigate whether early, middle, and late stages in adulthood occur as predicted. After employing common CDST methods to find out if there are significant peaks or interactions among the variables over time, we used a Hidden Markov time-series analysis to locate moments of self-organization, suggesting a new stage of development. The HMM shows a clear phase shift between middle and late adulthood when the writer was 63. Her vocabulary became more diversified, but her sentences were shorter, but not less complex. Therefore, we argue that this shift should not be seen as a decline in complexity but a shift in style as more precise words may lessen the need for more words.

This article delves into the ongoing debate surrounding the role of age in second language acquisition, examining developments over the past three decades and highlighting contentious issues. We argue that the commonly held belief in age's pivotal role is frequently contradicted by empirical evidence. Additionally, we examine the agerelated debate with respect to foreign language teaching. A brief review is provided on advances in neuroscientific techniques, which show that the adult brain retains substantial plasticity for language learning, followed by a discussion of these findings in relation to lifelong language learning. Finally, we turn to Complex Dynamic Systems Theory, which offers a dynamic perspective that emphasizes the evolving interplay of age, context, and individual factors, pointing to the need for more qualitative research.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have gained popularity among sales professionals who use them for self-directed learning and upskilling. However, research related to their intentions to continue learning is scarce. Drawing from the social cognition theory, this research aimed to address this gap by investigating the role of task-technology fit, self-development, and social recognition in sales professionals' continued use of MOOCs. The study hinged on empirical research and used a survey to collect data from 366 sales professionals. The results suggest that task-technology fit, self-development, and social recognition play a significant role in sales professionals' continued use of MOOCs. The study has practical implications for organizations promoting employee learning and development. The findings provide valuable information for MOOC designers and providers to develop more effective courses that meet the needs of sales professionals.

Purpose: Countries with unique developmental paths and cultural lineages display significant variations in their out-of-school education systems. In this landscape, Belarus, a vestige of the disbanded Soviet Union, illustrates a distinct out-of-school education system, profoundly shaped by both Soviet and European Union countries' influences. A meticulous examination and scholarly investigation into the Belarusian out-of-school educational framework could enable a more profound comprehension of the metamorphosis and transitions in the out-of-school education systems of nations that surfaced following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This knowledge could subsequently render a more transparent understanding of the patterns guiding the evolution of global out-of-school educational systems. Design/Approach/Methods: This article focuses on out-of-school education in Belarus and discusses its development status and the following main characteristics: the dimensions of its historical development stage, legislative guarantee, essence and extension, training goals, and typical cases. Findings: Influenced by historical and geopolitical factors, Belarusian out-of-school education is found to embody the characteristics of both the Soviet Union and European countries. National resources are found to play an important role in the development of out-of-school education, effectively reducing the cost of education for families and shaping students' positive values. Originality/Value: This study analyzes both the history and the current situation of out-of-school education in Belarus and summarizes the country's successful experience in the development of out-of-school education. It can provide a positive point of reference for optimizing the public out-of-school education system in China and exert a positive influence on related educational reforms.

This paper opens with a family anecdote in which my future mother in-law, when asked what wise advice she would offer undergraduate university students, replied, "I would tell them it's not going to be okay." Can we learn to keep engaging with the world despite its inevitable disappointments? I propose that Stoic philosophy, by "orienting" our "attention" and "courage," can help us navigate the troubled post-COVID world we share. To help make this more concrete, I describe a critical moment I observed in which a maskless shopper insulted fellow patrons in a grocery store for wearing a mask. I then develop the Stoic themes of acknowledgement (a commitment to the facts) and affinity (reaching out to others to build community). In the conclusion I return to the "maskless shopper" incident to consider how my two Stoic themes might help open a dialogue with this person. After discussing the limitations to such an undertaking, given the surge in populism over the last decade, I conclude with the appropriately tough-minded Stoic proposition that despite the obstacles, we must keep trying.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools were met with a mix of enthusiasm, skepticism, and fear. AI adoption soared as people discovered compelling use cases--developers wrote code, realtors generated narratives for their websites, students wrote essays, and much more. Calls for caution attempted to temper AI enthusiasm. Experts highlighted inaccuracies in some of the generated information. Artists, writers, programmers, and other professionals who create for a living questioned their job security. Educators worried that these tools would harm academic integrity. Nevertheless, the tools persist, and AI enthusiasm shows no sign of abating. The current study focuses on how AI tools can be leveraged to improve self-directed learning in the classroom. In a capstone cybersecurity course, the instructor encouraged students to use ChatGPT 3.5 on a self-directed learning assignment to select topics, find learning resources, and carry out their learning plans. Some students did not use ChatGPT. Those who used ChatGPT found it to be a helpful learning aid. All students reported that they plan to use ChatGPT for self-directed learning after graduating. No student violated academic integrity policies. The results demonstrate that AI tools can enhance self-directed learning, though students should be trained to use them effectively. Recommendations for developing assignments that support academic integrity and rigor in the age of AI are provided.

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a training curriculum intended to enhance the quality of life for the elderly. As Thailand witnesses a demographic shift with increasing numbers of older adults, driven by declining birth rates and extended life expectancies, the importance of ensuring quality elderly care becomes paramount. The devised curriculum encompasses eight principal elements focusing on the elderly, defined as those aged 60 and above, addressing their physical and mental changes, well-being, health, and overall satisfaction. The content is holistic, integrating components of music, art, health care, and exercise. Delivered over a two-day period, the curriculum employs a structured approach featuring lectures, discussions, and knowledge exchanges, supported by a range of media and materials. Initial assessments revealed a moderate quality of life among the elderly, but post-training evaluations indicated enhanced knowledge, understanding, and positive attitudes towards the activities, pointing to an overall high level of effectiveness of the curriculum.

The objective of this research aimed to establish a connection between the inclination towards lifelong learning and the degree of adherence to the curriculum among educators in primary and secondary educational institutions. In the 2021-2022 academic year, data for this screening model investigation were collected from 281 teachers employed in the central Karesi and Altieylül districts of Balikesir. The data were acquired using the 'Lifelong Learning Tendencies Scale,' designed by Diker Coskun (2009), and the 'Curriculum Fidelity Scale,' developed by Burul (2018). The data analysis employed descriptive statistics, Two-Way MANOVA, Pearson Correlation Analysis, and Regression Analysis. According to the results, it was detected that there were moderate lifelong learning tendencies and high degree of fidelity to the curriculum. Regarding the second discovery, it was established that school type and years of professional experience significantly influenced the differences observed in teachers' lifelong learning tendencies and their adherence to the curriculum levels. Furthermore, a statistically significant but modest correlation was identified between teachers' lifelong learning tendencies and their levels of curriculum fidelity.

The valorization of skills in English higher education policy-making is a long-standing refrain, informing both rhetoric and investment from government and shaping university behaviour. Critiques of the 'skills agenda' are equally established, on grounds of its contested evidence base, manner of implementation and even its very definition. This paper draws on Bacchi's 'What is the Problem Represented to Be?' (WPR) approach (Bacchi, in: Bletsas, Beasley (eds) Engaging with Carol Bacchi: strategic interventions and exchanges, The University of Adelaide Press, Adelaide, 2021a; Bacchi and Goodwin in Poststructural policy analysis: a guide to practice, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2016) to examine how the UK Department for Education's nascent Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) policy represents, and therefore in Bacchi's sense produces, problems in the English tertiary education system. Through its WPR analysis of a significant contemporary shift in the English funding system, this paper demonstrates how the LLE policy replicates but also extends certain key features of the skills agenda and the dominant presuppositions of current English higher education policy-making.

Natural languages distinguish between telic predicates that denote events leading to an inherent endpoint (e.g., "draw a balloon") and atelic predicates that denote events with no inherent endpoint (e.g., "draw balloons"). Telicity distinctions in many languages are already partly available to 4-5-year-olds. Here, using exclusively nonlinguistic tasks and a sample of English-speaking children, we ask whether young learners use corresponding temporal notions to characterize event structure--that is, whether children represent events in cognition as "bounded" temporal entities with a specified endpoint or "unbounded" temporal units that could in principle extend indefinitely. We find that 4-5-year-old children in our sample compute boundedness during an event categorization task (Experiment 1) and distinguish event boundedness from event completion (Experiment 2). Furthermore, 4-5-year-olds in our sample evaluate interruptions at event endpoints versus midpoints differently--but only for events that are construed as bounded, presumably because in such construals, events truly culminate (Experiment 3). We conclude that young children represent events in terms of foundational and abstract temporal properties. These properties could support the acquisition of linguistic aspectual distinctions and further scaffold the way children conceptualize and process their dynamic experiences.

This study focuses on the problem that the process of building learning habits has not been clearly described. Therefore, we aim to extract the stages of learning habits from log data. We propose a data model to extract stages of learning habits based on the transtheoretical model and apply the model to the learning logs of self-directed extensive reading to demonstrate the process of building learning habits. We uncover the various stages (i.e., the precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance stage) that learners underwent, and different proportions of the maximum stage that they achieved during an 11-month, self-directed, extensive reading program-implemented in a Japanese junior high school. This study contributes to realizing a method to evaluate the learning process, by tracing the stages of learning habits in long-term, and continuous learning activities. Further, this study can help guide the development of evidence-based educational interventions to support the building of lifelong learning habits and self-directed learning, using data-driven methods.

Despite the studies on protean career attitude in the career management literature, career sustainability and its potential outcomes have been subjected to study with limited empirical evidence. With this context, this study propounds a conceptual model connecting protean career orientation and perceived employability with career sustainability. Besides, sequentially, we posit that lifelong learning and proactive skill development mediate the relationship between protean career orientation and perceived employability. To establish the relationship, this study gathered data from Italy and Cyprus. Structural equation modelling was performed using the data collected. The results indicated serial mediation paths through which protean orientation impacts career sustainability.

The use of music therapy techniques has recently extended into the educational realm to help overcome learning difficulties, support emotional management, and assist students to develop necessary social skills. This is known as educational music therapy (EMT). Current educational policies give ever greater importance to the fostering and development of core social skills and competencies as decisive factors in overall educational success. Thus, teachers are being encouraged to explore interdisciplinary and creative collaboration and to innovate and incorporate new, more active, teaching methods to enable students to meet these educational objectives. This article comprises a systematic review of 34 research studies from 13 countries concerning the use of EMT over the last 15 years. The authors have identified uses of EMT in general teaching and in music education. The PICO(C) framework was used to develop the research question and the PRISMA diagram was used to determine the criteria for exclusion or inclusion of studies for review. The results from all studies considered agree that music therapy has benefits at all contexts and levels of education. The studies examined are diverse in terms of design, application, and procedures, and music therapy and music education techniques largely coincide in their educational objectives: improving inclusion, learning outcomes, and well-being among students. In conclusion, there is a two-way process of transfer between music education and EMT, and the addition of EMT techniques as another innovative method within teachers' repertoires could have many benefits in education. The added value can be found in the way this review relates different studies, revealing those dimensions that would benefit from further study as well as exploring the decision-making process around their potential applications.

This study investigated the seamless mobile learning practices of UK government workers at various life stages, to understand how context impacted decisions about how, when and where learning was undertaken. Following Hedegaard, the context was understood as involving settings embedded within institutions. Drawing on analysis of data from public domain blogs and reports and anonymised trace data showing e-learning visits via a mobile device, a picture of institutional practice and values was developed. Against this backdrop, a survey of 50 individuals followed by semi-structured interviews provided information about seamless mobile learning projects. Mobile learning was often fragmented and ad hoc, rather than part of a longer, seamless learning project. A distinction between just-in-time learning and just-in-case learning was apparent, with the latter often postponed. For mobile workers, mobile learning focused on current work setting, whereas workers who could work in many interchangeable settings might move to somewhere they could concentrate. Mobile learning was sometimes motivated by a sense of a lack of time and a need to stay 'on top of things' as much as by interest in a topic. Sustained seamless mobile learning projects occurred if there was institutional support for learning that was also of individual interest and if learners had the ability to orchestrate their learning. Learners reported these seamless mobile learning projects to be enjoyable and compelling. This paper contributes to the evidence of seamless mobile learning practice over the life course and illustrates the value of considering an individual's relation to various "institutions" in conceptualisations of seamless mobile learning. It also offers pointers for the future design of seamless mobile learning tools including a need to offer learners the opportunity to sometimes separate ongoing learning which is related to distinct institutions.

Japan, like many countries, is facing problems with an aging society, and lifelong learning is becoming more and more important. To provide older adults with the opportunity to enroll in lifelong learning programs, it is essential to offer suitable programs. However, designing learning programs for older adults is not easy because they may have various physical and mental conditions. To approach the problem, the authors have proposed a mechanism for personalizing learning programs for older adults. The basic ideas of the mechanism are: (1) omitting unessential steps and (2) suggesting collaboration with others. In this paper, the algorithm and the data structures of the mechanism are explained, and results of experiments are shown.

Capacity building is ubiquitous in development and education discourse as a means of strengthening approaches to education, among other development goals. However, in crafting a new social contract for education founded in an ethic of care, reciprocity, and solidarity, we must not overlook the significant transformative potential of capacity building as education. This article makes a case for the rediscovery of the liberatory roots of capacity building and a renewed focus on its potential to transform, humanize, and actualize, as a vital aspect of lifelong and life-wide learning in organizational contexts. Taking civil society, and particularly nongovernmental organizations, as a point of focus, it expounds on the tendency towards a narrowing notion of capacity building in development and education practice and discourse, as well as ways forward to reimage capacity building as transformative and emancipatory education. The article poses that a new social contract for education provides a crucial and exciting opportunity to weave difference, dialogue, and justice into the fabric of capacity-building approaches, reframing capacity building not merely as a means to an end but as a vital and valuable form of education in itself, as practitioners, educators, policymakers, and organizations work and learn together to shape new shared futures.

Renewing the social contract for education is the central call of the "Reimagining Our Futures Together: A New Social Contract for Education" report from the International Commission on the Futures of Education. The International Commission outlines two foundational principles for such renewal: an expanded vision of the right to education throughout life, and education as a public endeavour and a common good, reflecting humanity's wide diversity of ways of knowing, living, and being. These principles provide a common thread for the think pieces in this issue, which attempt to unpack the idea of a new social contract from a variety of positions. The pieces are discussed around six themes: reorienting educational purpose; governing diverging motivations; recasting leadership and participation; envisioning new possibilities for higher education; enriching the knowledge commons; and unleashing imagination beyond the status quo. This introductory article argues that rebuilding and strengthening trust is the watchword of any effort to renew a social contract for just and equitable futures of education.

In recent years, the proportion of the active population over 55 years of age has increased and, with it, early retirement, unemployment of older workers and senior "push" entrepreneurs. Given the repercussions at a social and economic level, the debate about the need to recover and keep seniors in the labour market is becoming increasingly rife. The aim of this study is to evaluate the evolution and European tendency towards the training and reintegration of seniors and demonstrate how formal education and continuous training can make a difference when it comes to prolonging their working life and subordinate their conditions and employment opportunities. Data from the European Working Conditions Survey between 2010 and 2021 are used and a descriptive statistical analysis and a hypotheses contrast are carried out using the Student's t test. The results show: (1) a greater effort to train and revalue seniors; and (2) that educational level and training generate significant differences in terms of the type of tasks to be performed and some variables that condition job satisfaction.

This article considers how neoliberalism has created a reductionist view of lifelong learning in the UK focused on upskilling workers for the labour market. This critical policy analysis uses Marx's theory of labour-power, as conceptualised by Glenn Rikowski, to examine the Skills and Post-16 Education Act, 2022 and to identify its ideological roots, its distribution of power, resources and knowledge, and the potential effect it will have on inequality. Findings indicate that while the Act aims to make it easier for adults to study more flexibly, not all adults will have the labour-power attributes and financial resources to access the higher-level qualifications prioritised for funding. This article argues that the Act represents a general deepening of neoliberalism in lifelong learning that will further stratify adult education and increase inequalities. This article concludes that policy has shifted from widening participation in lifelong learning linked to social enrichment and the development of democratic citizenship, to widening participation in higher levels of education and training aimed at enhancing labour-power for the capitalist labour market.

Even though technologies have always been useful for promoting lifelong learning, in recent decades, the use of generative Artificial Intelligence like ChatGPT has come to radically influence the way we perceive learning, learner and educator. Technology positivists assume that newer technologies will enhance lifelong learning whereas its critics argue that the learning gap that currently exists will widen further because, given the existing global inequalities, its benefits will continue to be disproportionate. Nested in an unequal history of technological innovation, this paper investigates the potentials and limitations of learning technologies in enhancing lifelong learning. The paper argues that digital inequality, artificial community, and epistemic exclusion are three major limitations of learning technologies; therefore, they have almost no resonance with life-wide and life-deep approaches to lifelong learning. The findings are crucial for setting post-2030 global goals on education.

The agricultural sector in India has come to prominence as a source of employment and livelihood. It is one of the most significant informal sectors in the country, and one in which informal learning plays a major role. This article analyses the informal learning of farmers in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. In the course of this research, qualitative interviews with 34 farmers in Coimbatore were conducted and analysed with regard to informal learning. The findings show that informal learning is lifelong and chiefly takes place at home in a family and peer group context. Informal learning is facilitated by training courses specifically adapted to farmers' needs, which can help them improve their situation on their respective farms. However, not every farmer attends these courses, indicating a need to strengthen the programmes, conduct information campaigns to raise awareness, and improve accessibility, especially for farmers and agricultural labourers.

In today's world, lifelong learning (LLL) is a key element of individual and societal success. However, despite knowing potential determinants of LLL, we do not yet understand how they interact to facilitate LLL. Therefore, the present study aims to verify the usefulness of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in predicting LLL. We applied a survey data-based approach by building proxies of TPB components for LLL based on the German PIAAC dataset. Our TPB-based path models explained both participation in non-formal LLL and engagement in informal LLL in a large heterogeneous sample of the German working population, also when controlling for influential socio-demographic determinants of LLL. Thereby, our results provide first evidence that TPB lends itself as core of a LLL process model that can serve as a basis to integrate further well-studied determinants of LLL participation and then can be tested in longitudinal multi-level studies.

In the context of Industry 4.0, research on lifelong learning intention (LLI) and adoption is valuable for developing a learning society. However, prior studies on LLI of adults have primarily focused on the impact of individual characteristics or environment sporadically. There is a lack of research approaching LLI of adults. In emerging markets like Vietnam, although lifelong learning is an essential competence, scholars have not focused on this issue. Therefore, this study has built a path model to explain factors affecting the LLI of Vietnamese adults in the business sector by integrating individual and social antecedents forming LLI. We empirically analyse the data obtained through a survey of 417 adults. The findings that are established using SmartPLS certify that attitude, social influence, perceived behavioural control, voluntariness and self-efficacy are significant determinants of both the perceived usefulness of lifelong learning (PUoLL) and LLI of adults. While jobs relevant in the business sector have impacted PUoLL, it is not directly the relation to LLI. The study establishes a strong positive influence of PUoLL on the LLI of adults in the business sector. The results provide important insights for policymakers, educators, scholars and learners to develop strategies for lifelong learning for adults.

This article discusses the UNESCO concept of learning city in relation to the peculiarities of the African city. After reviewing earlier theoretical frameworks recommended for the promotion of learning city projects within sub-Saharan Africa, the article comes to the conclusion that those earlier theoretical frameworks are prescriptive. Upon further analysis of the peculiarities of the African city, the article opines that only within a reflexive theoretical framework that is supported by traditional African pedagogies would a learning city project in sub-Saharan Africa succeed.

Liberalisation of higher education in Uganda meant opening its provision to the private sector, and also running a public-private mix model at public institutions. Consequently, the composition and needs of the student population at universities have changed due to flexibility in provision of study programmes and access routes. Students who had previously been excluded are also joining in increasing numbers. This article uses the feminist frameworks to equality and difference, discourses of integration and exclusion, and the concepts of Othering and Other to unpack equality of access, equity and inclusivity spaces of these new types of students. The aim is to contribute towards a learning agenda that promotes quality and sustainable educational development for all. We draw our findings from the voices of non-traditional students at a public university in Uganda. We validate these with voices of other germane actors to understand better the institutional policy and practice environments available to them. The equal opportunity provision has widened access for NTS but their equity and inclusivity spaces remain inadequately filled. To achieve sustainable inclusive and equitable quality higher education, we suggest a policy, practice and provision environment that promotes a transformative lifelong learning agenda.

Lifelong education has proven to be a significant challenge in the policy arena. The combination of formal education and labor-centered institutions has pressed the development of different mechanisms to understand the role of human capital accumulation in socioeconomic mobility and organizational performance. While the narratives of lifelong education have primed labor and educational studies across developed economies, in the case of developing economies, those logics appear contested by development economics conditions. In this paper, I use the context of the expansion of the graduate educational market and its policy reforms to analyze how a developing economy copes with a change in the availability of a highly educated workforce. Using panel and pseudo-panel data, I examine the evolution of educational returns for the graduate workforce in Chile between 1990 and 2018, considering the differences between industries and public and private sectors. The results point out that there are no public-private differences and high heterogeneity across economic sectors. The policy- and individual-level consequences are discussed.

This study was conducted to evaluate the lifelong learning culture of teacher candidates within the framework of the concept of cultural capital, which Bourdieu defines as the sum of intellectual qualities. The study employed the survey model as a quantitative research method. The study universe consisted of 538 prospective teachers attending Ankara University. Data concerning the cultural participation patterns among prospective teachers were collected through the "Cultural Participation Survey". The data were analysed using frequency analysis, percentage analysis, chi-square testing, t-testing, and one-way variance analysis (ANOVA). As a result, it was found that the education level, working status and income of the families of teacher candidates indicated low socio-economic and socio-cultural origins. It was observed that the cultural participation levels of the teacher candidates were low and these levels varied significantly according to the education level and income status of their parents. On the other hand, there was no significant difference according to the class they studied and the working status of the parents.