Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Community Development: Implication for Renewable Energy Education in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract The study investigated lifelong learning for sustainable community development: Implication for renewable energy education in Enugu State, Nigeria. Specifically, three research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The study used descriptive survey research design. The population is made up of 3,960 respondents, comprising of 3,391 adult learners, 552 facilitators and 17 traditional rulers in Enugu State. A sample size of 607 consisting of 358 adult learners, 232 facilitators and 17 traditional rulers were used for the study. Simple random sampling was used to select adult learners and facilitators, while 17 traditional rulers were purposively selected. A structured questionnaire designed by the researchers was the instrument used for data collection. A reliability coefficient of 0.88 was established using Cronbach Alpha. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for research questions while ANOVA was used for testing the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results showed among others that lifelong learning gave more community members the opportunity to acquire and update themselves with the necessary skills. Analysis of variance of the responses of respondents indicated no significant difference at P > 0.05. The paper recommends among others that Government established departments, ministries, agencies and non-governmental organizations should collaborate and make provision for sufficient fund through adult and non-formal education to make learning more flexible and friendly to people who cannot fit-in into the formal system of education due to one problem or the other.