Perspectives of lifelong education in Portuguese higher education: a critical analysis of learning outcomes

ABSTRACT

Nurturing students’ continuous learning is a current trend in the higher education agenda. Curricula and academic contents should enable students to take part in stimulating learning experiences, as well as promoting both developing and training opportunities in the course of their lives and careers. Despite the relevance given to lifelong learning in the educational system, there are still some open questions: how this concept is understood and put into practice by higher education institutions? The paper aims to analyse the conceptions of lifelong learning as reflected on the learning outcomes proposed in a sample of study programs. A qualitative methodology and a data-driven approach are adopted to explore the content of the learning outcomes proposed in 10% of total study programs submitted to quality accreditation, since 2009. Generally, results reveal that higher education institutions are committed to the lifelong learning paradigm, particularly in master and PhD degrees. Students are expected to ‘invest in personal and professional development through life’, to ‘develop learning competences through life’, as well as to ‘foster lifelong learning’. This study provides a better understanding of the range of perspectives and the relevance given to lifelong learning as a valuable learning outcome.

KEYWORDS:

• Lifelong learning
• learning outcomes
• higher education (HE)
• curricula

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Portuguese Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education - A3ES.

Notes on contributors

Diana Soares

Diana Soares, with a PhD in Educational Psychology, is a researcher in the Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES). Her interests include higher education curriculum design and learning outcomes, pedagogic innovation and competency-based education. She is the author of several academic articles on higher education learning outcomes, competency-based education, and students’ academic development.

Diana Dias

Diana Dias is associate professor with habilitation at Universidade Europeia Laureate International Universities and, since 2015, vice-rector for research and academic development. She is also senior research fellow at Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES). She holds a PhD in Educational Sciences and the Habilitation in Educational Psychology. Her research interests focus on the higher education topics, namely: learning outcomes and competencies; academic success; access and equity; and curriculum development (hybrid and face to face). She is also author of several publications in the national and international scope, indexed in Web of Science and/or SCOPUS.