Lifelong Learning from Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives: Approaches and Opportunities in the 21st Century

Recent changes in socio-cultural patterns and standards coupled with global dynamics call for lifelong learning approaches for survival in the twenty first century. Critical issues in the world today have broadened the practice of lifelong learning in all disciplines as adaptive strategy to global endeavours. The concept of lifelong learning although emanatedfrom adult education; its practice is multidisciplinary. Thus learning to know, to do, to be and live together is not only limited to adult education, but to all other disciplines; occasioning the need to understand lifelong learning from a multidisciplinary perspective. This chapter sought to explore lifelong learning perspectives, practices, opportunities and challenges from multiple disciplines. A total of 34 staff (lecturers and administrative staff) and students from higher education institutions (HEIs) in varied disciplines constituted the population of the study. The study employed purposive and convenient sampling approaches to select the sample for in-depth interviews. Inductive content and thematic analysis were employed for analysing and presenting the results. It emerged that staff and students of HEIs perceive lifelong learning as a personal learning initiative that require institutional efforts to expedite learning processes and requisite learning contents for meaningful lives. It further emerged that although practiced similarly, lifelong learning is discretely and unconsciously practice in addressing emerging issues/challenges in multi-disciplines of HEIs. This study concludes with suggestion for an expansion of the meaning and scope of lifelong learning beyond educational borders. It recommends that HEIs adopt flexible and innovative pedagogical approaches to sharpen faculty and students’ skills for self-directed learning initiatives, particularly in this era of globalisation and rapid transformation.