Factors Differentiating High and Low Participants in Lifelong Learning

Abstract

The present study explored, among human service professionals, the characteristics which differentiated between lifelong learners and low participants in learning. The Characteristics of Lifelong Learners in the Professions (CLLP) Survey was administered to human service professionals in Southern New England. The responses (n= 195) of the study participants to the survey were factor analyzed, and the factors orthogonally rotated. Factor scales corresponding to the seven CLLP extracted factors and three selected demographic variables were, then, submitted to stepwise discriminant function analysis. The two groups-lifelong learners and low participants in learning-were found to differ significantly on the discriminant function composed of the following five CLLP factors: Educability, Readiness for Change, Future Orientation, Causation for Learning Participation, and Familial Educational Background. None of the demographic variables included contributed significantly to group discrimination. The results are discussed regarding their possible implications for identifying and encouraging potential learners for pursuit of continuing education activities.