The Concept of Lifelong Learning - Literature review Example

The Concept of Lifelong Learning Customer Inserts His/her Name Customer Inserts Grade Course Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name 27/08/ 2011 Introduction The concept of lifelong learning has always been an important consideration in the live of every person as it plays a significant role in personal development. Lifelong learning relates to acquiring knowledge and skills either in a formal (such as training, apprenticeship) or informal way (life experiences and situations). Lifelong learning is applicable in a person’s vocation as well as in education. Currently, lifelong learning is seen as a critical requirement in order for an individual to attain a competitive advantage in his or her line of vocation and in education. There is higher relationship in lifelong learning, vocation and education. A critical account of conceptions of lifelong learning According to Bagnall (2001) there are three progressive sentiments that have been used to address lifelong learning and its advocacy. These include: the individual, the democratic and the adaptive. Further, these progressive sentiments seek to address the objectives of policy and practice and how these objectives can be realized. On the other hand, there are variations on how each of these sentiments defines, focus and conceive lifelong learning. They also draw a line between the traditional consideration of lifelong learning and the contemporary thinking of lifelong learning. The individual progressive sentiment commits to the growth and development of an individual. Individuals are liberated from ignorance, dependence and constraint. An individual is enlightened so as to liberate him from ignorance; empowered to make him independent and in order to liberate him from constraint his perspectives are transformed. Educational advocacy of the individual progressive sentiment focuses on cognitive or intellectual development and understanding which is usually achieved in disciplines of academics. On the other hand, its educational goals are associated with the development of skills and capabilities to engage in social practices and convections such as work, family life and community tasks. Every stage of life of an individual requires different development needs hence the need to attain advancement of knowledge in every individual: which is basically the focus on conception of lifelong learning of the individual progressive sentiment. The individual progressive sentiment is closely associated with the traditional view of lifelong learning where happiness and peace for an individual were the most important objectives (Arnaud 1999). Moreover, through lifelong learning an individual should be more educative and attain freedom in life. The democratic progressive sentiment is committed to social justice, equity and social development through participation in democratic processes. Like individual progressive sentiment, the democratic progressive sentiment has a focus on liberation. However, it seeks liberation from all forms of inherited authority whether autocratic or theocratic among others, liberation from oppression, poverty and servitude in the process of realizing a society that lives in the truth and for the truth. The educational advocacy of democratic progressive focuses on reforming culture through education by widening the areas of learning for liberation in the individual progressive sentiment. Consequently, the democratic progressive sentiment conception of lifelong learning is that in order to free humanity from oppression and exploitations, there is need to remain vigilant and in action as new forms of oppression are instituted or the old ones are transformed. Therefore, the democratic progressive sentiment has a social approach towards changing social transformations and privileges though educative action. The main objective of the democratic progressive sentiment is to establish a society that provides equality to all people. Accordingly, lifelong learning is at the same time fundamental for the society as a means to promote democracy and human rights to prevent social exclusion and nature togetherness (Borgir and Peltzer, 1999). Finally, the adaptive progressive sentiment is defined on how it responds to changes in culture. Cultural changes are the major contributing factors to the transformation of lifelong learning from the traditional view to the contemporary view. As well, it seeks to liberate the individual and the society as whole from deprivation, poverty and dependence by formulation learning that is adaptive. Therefore, such development in adaptive learning may be undertaken at any level of social organization depending on the requirements of the learning. Social organization levels include the individual, institutional, national as well international. Establishment of systems and policies of education that help individuals and organizations to remain at the same pace of changes in culture and advance themselves accordingly is the educational advocacy of the adaptive progressive sentiment. Though this, individuals are given the capability to contribute to the needs of the society without depending on other people, while organizations are enabled to maintain themselves as viable thriving entities, in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Moreover, countries are given the capability to offer a fiscal political and social context that plays a role in developing the citizens while providing welfare for those who are deemed to need and deserve it. In the light of the above, the three progressive sentiments on lifelong learning have integrated the individual, the society and the whole world in the need for lifelong learning. According to the United Nations World Report on Human Development stated in 1995 that, despite their countries’ level of economic development, there are three main priorities for individuals. These include: having a long and healthy life, acquiring knowledge and having access to the necessary resources to obtain decent living conditions. In terms of the individual sentiment, lifelong learning has a private approach towards the benefits of learning to an individual. In democratic sentiment, lifelong learning focuses attainment of a society in absence of exploitation and poverty as well as social justice. In adaptive sentiment, lifelong learning is grounded in making the individual, the nations and the whole world to adapt to cultural changes consistent with their liberation (Billett, 2011). A discussion of vocations and their relationship to working lives A vocation is an interest coupled with training and qualification in a particular career or field of professionalism. There is a strong relationship between vocations and working lives. For instance, experiences in work depend on whether an individual is doing what he or she has always been interested in doing (vocation). In order to remain productive in the enterprises there is a requirement for adult and vocational education throughout life (lifelong learning). The cultural changes in the form of demands of individuals, organizations and nations are such that they must be involved in continual change. Bodi and Maggs (1996) observe that the long term view and conscious effort that many workers take in acquiring knowledge in their vocations in their entire careers contributes positively in development of their skills. Vocations are seen as something that an individual does not require education for. Generally, there is no need for higher education to advance in a vocation, unlike in professions. Dewey (1966) claims that “A vocation means nothing but such direction in life activities as render them perceptibly significant to a person, because of the consequences they accomplish, and are also useful to his associates.” Further, Dewey observes that a person can have more than one vocation. On the other hand, work is an occupation which “is a concrete term for continuity and includes the development of artistic capacity of any kind, of special scientific ability, of effective citizenship as well as professional and business occupations. According, it is important to achieve a balance between vocational and working life. A vocation is generally self-interest where it is very hard to find a doctor, lawyer or accountant to act in the self-interest as an occupation. Basically, self-interest in vocation is more profound where a vocation is referred to as a calling that is central to individual’s identity or key purpose in life than where vocation is associated with employment activities that have strong trade or manual components. Further, it is essential to avoid not only limitation of conception of vocational to the occupations where immediately tangible commodities are produced but also the notion that vocations are distributed in an exclusive way, one for each person (Dewey, 1966). A critical consideration of vocation as the basis of vocational education Vocation greatly influences the understanding of education provision. In lifelong learning, vocational learning throughout life is central to the purposes of adult and vocational education. Since there is a difference on the use of the term vocation; there is also a difference on the vocational education provisions. Vocationalism is a function whereby the education system services how the economy works, deriving its purpose and rationale from some assessment of economic need and requirement such as trained manpower for the labour market. Therefore, based on this, there is a fundamental importance of vocational education in every society and the role it plays in directly developing further its knowledge through a life time of work. Vocational education refers to those educational functions and processes which purport to prepare and equip individuals and groups for working life whether or not in the form of paid employment (Skilbeck et al 1994). The goal of vocational education should be to prepare individuals for work and an active life where young people can work on a variety off jobs. In addition, it vocational education should aim at developing capacities continuously, in order for those acquiring it to keep pace with developing production methods and working conditions. Following vocational education, an individual should be in possession of the abilities and techniques, personal and social skills as well as knowledge about working life. Abilities and techniques include: reasoning, learning, calculating, writing and reading; personal skills and social skills include: values for work, effective communication, health and safety and knowledge about working life with regards to the work environment, job-seeking, survival and development in the job. Basically, vocational education is about developing individuals in order for them to realize their vocational and personal goals, contribute to the community as well as the productivity of their work practice, in a way that is robust and critical (Billett, 1999). Changing conceptions of vocational and adult education are shaped by a variety changes. Vocational training is particularly a job-specific training. For instance, a doctor pursuing further education for career development is said to be undertaking vocational training. On the other hand, there are concerns about the relationship between economic change and changing requirement for learning in the workplace and in particular the relationship between job-specific training and broader work-related educational needs. Further, everyday thinking and acting is the process of reinforcing existing knowledge and generating new knowledge, which we do throughout our lives. It is also important to provide vocational education with personal goals in mind since vocational goals are not easily separable from personal goals and aspirations. Further, work and culture are inseparable since a person’s work or vocation such as a doctor is the central guiding force and brings to non-paid work activities the values and qualities developed and applied throughout the time he or she has served as a doctor. Therefore, this asserts the centrality of vocations and hence vocational education to the development of an individual instead of being seen as fully subordinate to economic goals. Vocational education, whether of a general kind or that focused on the development of specific vocational skills, has a more recent tradition that extends beyond initial preparation into maintaining and developing vocational knowledge for the entire time an individual works (Forrester and Ward, 1995). Vocationalism is a process or activity, the imparting and the acquisition of widely defined skills and knowledge believed to have a discernible relationship with the capabilities needed for productive work and required or expected of employees for the present and future employment needs. The employer should engage the employees in a vocational education forum where they can develop new skills or advance their current competences in a dynamic business environment. Educators within vocational education has a critical role to play in assisting learners identify their true business and to assist them to move a long the path that will make them achieve their personal and vocational goals (Dewey, 1966). These roles have dimensions of both specific skills and more strategic outcomes and can be used to young learners as well as the older ones. A critical evaluation of the educational worth of the current conception of lifelong learning and the purposes of vocational education The current conception of lifelong learning is to liberate the individual and the society as whole from oppressions, poverty and derivation of a complete livelihood for every person. This can be attained through adult and vocational education. The purpose of vocational education is to help individual walk in the same pace as with the cultural changes. Lifelong is a process which is not conterminous with either initial education or with educational institutions. When educators conceive vocational guidance as something which leads up to a definitive, irretrievable and complete choice, both education and the chosen vocation are likely to be rigid, hampering further growth. However, in the past education was more like a vocation. With the current conception of lifelong learning, vocational education should be based on the current industrial regime which is concerned with economical, social and cultural aspects that affect the workers’ productivity. On the other hand, since a vocation signifies any form of continuous activity which renders service to others and engages personal powers on behalf of the achieving the end result, vocational education should focus on the development of the conscious of the individual. The future pace of economic and social change is likely to generate demands for new learning, especially by adults with low qualifications hence the need for vocational education (Aspin et al, 2001). Individuals and entities will not invest resources in lifelong learning unless they have reasonable confidence that the benefits of the investment will exceed the costs. This is also applicable to vocational education. Authorities such as the government should become supportive of vocational education through the provision of the necessary resources for purposes of lifelong learning. On the other hand, educators have a greater role to play in pressurizing adults to engage in education and training. This should be highly emphasized on both women and men since for a long time women tend to engage more in non-vocational adult education and men usually receive education and training at their places of work. Belanger (1999) proposes four critical issues for lifelong learning. These include: tendency towards reproduction of lifelong inequalities; finding new ways to monitor the scattered provision of adult learning; developing and creating skills in the non-wage sector and the impact of learning environments on participation and achievement in vocational education and training. Conclusion The current intense period of interest in lifelong learning at national and international levels clearly reflects a widely felt need for the reorientation of education and training policies. This can be associated with the fact that education is becoming a part of the social and productive process and not only for employment purposes only. Changes in technology, the economy and the labour market are occurring at such a ace that individuals cannot rely just on their initial education and training to maintain their employability, but need to acquire new skills and knowledge on an on going basis. Therefore, the concept of lifelong learning for all whether young or old has a considerable potential in regard to this. References Arnaud (1999). Obligation of education in the face of globalization in M Singh (Ed) Adult learning and the future of work, Hamburg, UNESCO Institute for Education. Aspin, David, Chapman, J., Hatton, M & Sawano, Y. (2001). International Handbook of Lifelong Learning, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands. Bagnall R (2001) Locating lifelong Learning and education in Contemporary Currents of Thought and Culture, International Handbook of Lifelong Learning, Kluwer Academic Publishing. Dordrecht, Netherlands. (pp. 35-52) Bélanger, P. (1999). Adult learning and the transformation of work in M Singh (Ed) Adult Learning and the Future of Work, Hamburg, UNESCO Institute for Education. Billett, Stephen (1999). Changing Work, Practices and Engagement: Understanding Performance at Work. Faculty of Education, Griffith University Bodi, A. & Maggs, G. (1996). Final Report: The Role of Training in Overcoming Skill Shortages, State Training Board, Victoria, Melbourne Borgir, H. & Peltzer, R. (1999). Lifelong Learning and Vocational Education And Training: A Teachers and Trade Union View In M Singh (Ed) Adult Learning and The Future of Work, Hamburg, UNESCO Institute for Education. Dewey, J. (1966). Democracy and Education, The Free Press, New York Dewey, J. (1966). Vocational Aspects of Education in Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education, The Free Press, New York. Forrester, K., Payne, J. & Ward, K. (1995). Lifelong Education and the Workplace: A Critical Analysis: International Journal of Lifelong Education, Vol.14, no.4, pp.292-305. Skilbeck, M, Connell, H Lowe, N & Tait, K. (1994). The Vocational Quest: New Directions in Education and Training, Routledge, London. Read More