Asia-Pacific Edu Res (2024) 33:407–417

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-023-00738-w

REGULAR ARTICLE

Lifelong Learning in the Educational Setting: A Systematic

Literature Review
Win Phyu Thwe1 · Anikó Kálmán2

Accepted: 30 April 2023 / Published online: 13 May 2023

© The Author(s) 2023

Abstract This systematic literature review aimed to pro- school teachers, undergraduates, postgraduates, student
vide updated information on lifelong learning in educational teachers, European Union Lifelong Learning experts, young
research by examining theoretical documents and empirical adults, teacher educators, administrators, and academic staff.
papers from 2000 to 2022. This review sought to identify
concepts, theories, and research trends and methods linked Keywords Lifelong learning · Lifelong learning skills ·
to lifelong learning in educational research in different coun- Lifelong learning competencies · Systematic literature
tries. Our review findings showed that theoretical papers, review
such as reports, policies, and concepts of lifelong learning,
are generally much more extensive than empirical studies.
Word cloud analysis revealed that the most prominent con- Introduction
cepts were lifelong learning skills, lifelong learning compe-
tencies, and the three types of lifelong learning (formal, non- Lifelong learning is a broad term whose definitions have
formal, and informal). Following the inductive analysis, this common meanings and which has been explained by organ-
study investigated three common research trends: conceptual izations such as the European Commission, the United
framework or policies of lifelong learning, lifelong learning Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
abilities, and influencing factors of lifelong learning and/ (UNESCO), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation
or lifelong learning abilities. Regarding methodology, this and Development (OECD).
study identified only three studies that used mixed methods, The European Commission (2001) defines lifelong learn-
which is insufficient in the field. In addition, heterogeneity ing as any intentional learning activities conducted through-
was also observed between research instruments in lifelong out a person’s lifetime to improve their knowledge, skills,
learning. Different data analysis techniques can be applied and competencies from an individual, municipal, societal,
in this field, including content analysis, descriptive analysis, and/or career standpoint. From this conventional definition,
and inferential analysis. Finally, the participants involved in a more robust definition of lifelong learning emerged—that
the examined studies were students, primary and secondary is, lifelong learning refers to all processes that transform a
person’s body, mind, and social experiences intellectually,
emotionally, and practically before they are integrated into
* Win Phyu Thwe
their life story, resulting in a more experienced individual
[email protected]
(Jarvis, 2009).
Anikó Kálmán
Meanwhile, the UNESCO definition of lifelong learn-
[email protected]
1
ing includes all intentional learning from birth to death that
Doctoral School of Education, University of Szeged, Szeged,
attempts to advance knowledge and skills for anyone who
Hungary
2
intends to engage in learning activities. Part of the broad
Department of Technical Education, Faculty of Economic
definition of lifelong learning refers to both informal learn-
and Social Sciences, Budapest University of Technology
and Economics (BME), Műegyetem rkp.3, H‑1111, ing in settings such as the workplace, at home, or in the com-
Budapest, Hungary munity and formal education in institutions such as schools,

13
Vol.:(0123456789)
408 W. P. Thwe, A. Kálmán

universities, and alternative education centers (Tuijnman lifelong learning in educational research in different coun-
et al., 1996). According to the European Lifelong Learning tries. These intentions have guided the following research
Initiative, lifelong learning is a consistently supportive pro- questions for this literature review:
cess that stimulates and empowers individuals in acquiring
all the awareness, values, skills, and comprehension they 1. What concepts and theories have been applied to explain
would require throughout their lifetime and apply them lifelong learning in education research?
with self-belief, innovation, and pleasure in all positions, 2. What research problems have been examined in lifelong
contexts, and climates (Watson, 2003). Therefore, lifelong learning in education research?
learning can be generally defined as learning that one seeks 3. What research methodologies have been adopted to
throughout their life and that is flexible, varied, and acces- evaluate lifelong learning in education?
sible at diverse times and locations.
According to John Dewey, education is the process of
giving a person the skills necessary to take charge of their Methodology
world and fulfill their obligations. The ideas of education
and lifelong learning endure over the life of an individual’s Lifelong learning in the educational setting is assessed using
existence. Lifelong learning transcends the limits of edu- a systematic review of literature instead of a narrative review
cation and goes beyond traditional education (Edwards & or bibliometric analysis. A systematic literature review is
Usher, 1998). In this regard, it is vital to assess how educa- considered as a scientific, unambiguous, and repeatable pro-
tion settings can support lifelong learning. This literature cess for locating, analyzing, and summarizing every avail-
review is the groundwork for the future implementation of able published and registered research article to address a
educational institutions as lifelong learning centers. clearly articulated question (Dewey & Drahota, 2016). To
ensure the effectiveness of the document search strategy,
this study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
Importance of a Systematic Literature Review Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) as suggested
of Lifelong Learning by Page et al. (2021).

A review of educational research in lifelong learning is the Procedure

initial step to understanding relevant concepts and con-
ducting empirical research. Both narrative and systematic This study employed the largest multidisciplinary databases,
reviews help identify research gaps and develop research such as Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and ProQuest, to
questions, respectively. Meanwhile, systematic reviews search for studies in lifelong learning. It also investigated
include not only information obtained from the literature two institution-based websites focusing on lifelong learn-
but also the adopted approach and where and how the litera- ing, the UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning and the
ture was found. The significance of a systematic literature European Commission, and gathered their policy docu-
review (Cronin, 2011; Mallett et al., 2012) can be seen in the ments, publications, and reports. Throughout the period
criteria used to assess whether to include or exclude a study 2000–2022, all lifelong learning studies were considered
from the review, reducing article selection bias. to ensure that all up-to-date information is captured. Our
Do et al. (2021) conducted the first systematic scientific keywords were “lifelong learning” and “education,” and we
investigation of the literature on lifelong learning although set our filters to include open-access articles and journals
the selected studies focused only on the Southeast Asia con- related to education, social science, and the English lan-
text. Because the researchers used bibliometric analysis, it guage. Based on the publication of hundreds of articles, we
was not possible to study the intricacies of a lifelong learn- developed our inclusion and exclusion criteria.
ing issue, evaluate the quality of each scientific paper, or
accurately highlight its effects on the topic. To overcome Included and Excluded Studies
these limitations and provide a more general overview of the
research topic, another systematic review of lifelong learn- We selected articles based on the following criteria: pub-
ing literature must be conducted. Therefore, our research lished in educational science and social science publications,
will contain policy document, theoretical and empirical employed both theoretical and empirical research (qualita-
papers from 2000 to 2022 to provide updated information tive, quantitative, or mixed methods), and open access. The
on lifelong learning in educational research. This literature decision was made to exclude lifelong learning articles
review aims to identify concepts and theories, research that did not focus on the education field, such as medicine,
areas, research trends, and research methods associated with engineering, and labor studies, and those with unsuitable

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Lifelong Learning in the Educational Setting: A Systematic Literature Review 409

titles and abstracts. Duplicate articles were removed after Data Extraction and Analysis
the articles that met these criteria were assessed using R
Studio software. To answer the research questions, we categorized lifelong
learning concepts and theories, research trends, and meth-
Screening ods. We extracted the concepts and theories from both policy
documents, theoretical and empirical publications and then
The screening stage involved an evaluation of titles and gathered information on research trends and methods based
abstracts to determine their suitability for the research on empirical studies. We then conceptually coded and cat-
question and literature review methodology. Through this egorized the data and used R Studio software to analyze the
method, we discovered irrelevant articles and removed them. articles both qualitatively and quantitatively.
The remaining policy documents, theoretical and empiri-
cal studies were reviewed and analyzed in the last screen-
ing round, producing a total of 55 eligible articles. Figure 1
shows the procedure of finding and selecting relevant lit- Findings
erature according to the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram (Page
et al., 2021). Lifelong Learning Concepts and Theories

Our analysis of 55 studies covering the period 2000–2022

showed that lifelong learning was explained using different
concepts based on the research area and trends. An overview

Identification of studies via databases Identification of studies via organizations

Records identified from*: Records removed before Records identified from:

Web of Science (n = European Commission (n
Identification

screening:
306) Duplicate records = 3)
Scopus (n = 77) removed UNESCO Institute of
ProQuest (n = 65) (n = 16) Lifelong Learning (n = 5)
Total articles = 559

Records excluded**
Irrelevant studies (n =
Records screened 479) after screening the
(n =543) titles and abstracts

Reports sought for

Reports sought for retrieval Reports not retrieved retrieval
(n = 64) (n = 2) (n = 8)
Screening

Reports excluded:
Reports assessed for Reports assessed for
Studies focusing on
eligibility eligibility
jobs, employment, and
(n = 62) (n = 8)
workers (n = 15)

Studies included in review

(n = 47+8= 55)
Included

Theoretical studies (n =34)

Empirical studies (n =21)

Fig. 1  Selection procedure of studies for analysis according to PRISMA 2020

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410 W. P. Thwe, A. Kálmán

Table 1  Analysis of concepts related with lifelong learning

Concepts Authors

Adult education Ivanova (2009); Mandal (2019); Tsatsaroni & Evans (2014)
Assessment Green (2002); Matsumoto-Royo et al. (2022)
Attitudes toward learning and individual lifelong learning behavior Lavrijsen & Nicaise (2017)
Beliefs Bath & Smith (2009)
biopolitical shift of lifelong learning Beighton (2021)
Communication skills and predisposition Deveci (2019)
Coping strategies Muller & Beiten (2013)
COVID-19 Deveci (2019); Eschenbacher & Fleming (2020)
Educational technology Sen & Durak (2022)
European qualification framework Elken (2015)
Finance Oosterbeek & Patrinos (2009)
Humanism Black (2021); Osborne & Borkowska (2017)
Integrated framework of lifelong learning James (2020); Panitsides (2014)
Intercultural universities Tyson & Vega (2019)
Knowledge-constitutive practices Nicoll & Fejes (2011)
Learning achievements Omirbayev et al. (2021)
Learning strategies Cort (2009); Muller & Beiten (2013)
Life-deep learning, ethical principles, learning society, and learn- Osborne & Borkowska (2017)
ing communities
Lifelong learners Adams (2007); Bagnall (2017); Bath & Smith (2009)
Lifelong learning competencies Council of the European Union (2018); Grokholskyi et al. (2020); Kwan
et al. (2017); Omirbayev et al. (2021); Shin & Jun (2019)
Lifelong learning experience Shin & Jun (2019)
Lifelong learning policies Rambla et al. (2020); Tuparevska et al. (2020a, 2020b); Valiente et al.
(2020a, 2020b)
Lifelong learning skills Adams (2007); Bath & Smith (2009); Deveci (2022); Karataş et al. (2021);
Moore & Shaffer (2017); Omirbayev et al. (2021)
Lifelong learning tendencies (Matsumoto-Royo et al. (2022); Nacaroglu et al. (2021); Sen & Durak
(2022)
Metacognitions Grokholskyi et al. (2020); Matsumoto-Royo et al. (2022)
Open universities Zuhairi et al. (2020)
Peer-assisted learning Kuit & Fildes (2014)
Perception Adams (2007); Buza et al. (2010); Cefalo & Kazepov (2018)
Personal learning environment Yen et al. (2019)
Personality determinants Grokholskyi et al. (2020)
Preschool education Karalis (2009)
Professional development Theodosopoulou (2010); Zuhairi et al. (2020)
Quality, equity, and inclusion Sunthonkanokpong & Murphy (2019)
Regulation and governance, institutional structures, and curricula Green (2002)
Rhizome Usher (2015)
Self-directed learning Karataş et al. (2021); Kuit & Fildes (2014); Nacaroglu et al. (2021)
Self-efficacy Sen & Durak (2022)
Social exclusion Tuparevska et al. (2020a, 2020b)
Teacher competencies Theodosopoulou (2010)
Teacher education Simmons & Walker (2013); Sunthonkanokpong & Murphy (2019)
Teaching–learning approaches Karataş et al. (2021)
Techno-solutionism and instrumentalism Black (2021)
Three types of lifelong learning (formal, nonformal, and informal) do Nascimento et al. (2018); UIL (2017); Walters et al. (2014); Yang et al.
(2015); Yen et al. (2019); Yorozu (2017)
Workplace learning Maxwell (2014)

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Lifelong Learning in the Educational Setting: A Systematic Literature Review 411

analysis, and participants based on their research design

and methods. We will discuss these research methodolo-
gies based on the aforementioned three common research
problems.
Table 3 summarizes the main research instruments used
by lifelong learning studies. The researchers also adopted
several other research tools, including the Competences
Scale for Educational Technology Standards, the Teach-
ing–Learning Conceptions Scale, the Self-Directed Learning
Readiness Scale, the Perceived Self-Regulation Scale, the
Dimension Learning Organization Questionnaire, learning
agility, knowledge sharing, learning approaches, the Gen-
eral Self-Efficacy Scale, the Openness to Experience Scale,
Fig. 2  Word cloud analysis of lifelong learning concepts change readiness, the Epistemic Beliefs Inventory, general
intelligence, self-assessment of metacognitive knowledge
and metacognitive activity, reflexive skills, the questionnaire
of concepts related to lifelong learning can be found in of implicit theories, a diagnosis of motivational structure,
Table 1. Meanwhile, the results of the word cloud analysis in and the teaching and assessment strategies for pedagogical
R Studio (Fig. 2) revealed that the most prominent concepts practice instrument, to investigate the relation between life-
were lifelong learning skills, lifelong learning competencies, long learning abilities and other variables or their impacts.
and the three types of lifelong learning (formal, nonformal, In some cases, some researchers developed these instru-
and informal). ments, while in others, they modified existing tools (e.g.,
Many publications included in our review lack a clear the- Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (Crick et al., 2004),
ory of lifelong learning. Our analysis of the 55 studies, how- Lifelong Learning Competencies Scale (Sahin et al., 2010),
ever, revealed an attempt by scholars to apply comprehensive and Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale (Coşkuna & Demirel,
theory (Bagnall, 2017), theory of transformative learning 2010)). These researchers also performed many types of
(Eschenbacher & Fleming, 2020), theories of societal learn- data analysis based on their data collection tools and data
ing (Osborne & Borkowska, 2017) to lifelong learning. distribution methods, including descriptive and diagnostic
analyses, hierarchical linear modeling, reliability, principal
Research Areas in Lifelong Learning component analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural
equation modeling, regression, multivariate regression, cor-
We inductively analyzed 21 of the 55 empirical studies in relation, comparative analyses (t-test or Mann–Whitney U
our review to examine the common research problems that test), and content analysis.
the researchers presented and addressed. From this analy- These studies also involved several types of participants,
sis, three common research areas emerged: problems associ- such as students, primary and secondary school teachers,
ated with the conceptual framework or policies of lifelong undergraduates, postgraduates, student teachers, EU Life-
learning, issues surrounding lifelong learning abilities, and long Learning experts, young adults, teacher educators,
challenges linked to factors that influence lifelong learning administrators, and academic staffs, which all represent dif-
and/or lifelong learning abilities. Table 2 presents a detailed ferent contexts. Table 4 shows that Asia, the Middle East,
analysis of these research problems in the 21 studies. and Europe can be regarded as the general contexts of these
We also found that researchers described lifelong learn- studies. Notably, however, fewer studies have been con-
ing abilities using terms such as “lifelong learning skills,” ducted in Asia than in the Middle East and Europe, which
“lifelong learning competencies,” and “lifelong learning may pose a challenge to the generalization of the findings of
tendencies.” Some studies also investigated the impacts of some studies in these contexts.
demographic data to address their research problems (e.g.,
Buza et al., 2010; Nacaroglu et al., 2021; Sen & Durak,
2022; Shin & Jun, 2019). Discussion

Research Methodologies in Lifelong Learning The results of our review showed that theoretical papers,
such as reports, policy document, and lifelong learning con-
Of the 21 studies, 11 conducted quantitative research, seven cepts were generally much more extensive than empirical
qualitative researches, and three mixed-method research. studies. Despite attempts to formulate new lifelong learn-
Differences were observed in their research instruments, ing theories and apply existing ones, researchers have yet

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412 W. P. Thwe, A. Kálmán

Table 2  Analysis of research areas

Research areas Authors

Concepts used in policies of lifelong learning A conceptual framework for lifelong learners who leave school Adams (2007)
The notion of social isolation in lifelong learning policies devel- Tuparevska et al. (2020a)
oped by the European Union (EU)
Vulnerability in lifelong learning policies developed by the EU Tuparevska et al. (2020b)
The relations between lifelong learning policies and the definition Rambla et al. (2020)
of young adults in terms of social vulnerability
Lifelong learning abilities Lifelong learning skills during the course Moore & Shaffer (2017)
Lifelong learning skills in biology Kuit & Fildes (2014)
Lifelong learning tendencies, technical self-efficacy, and profes- Sen & Durak (2022)
sional competence
The mediating function of preparedness for self-directed learning Karataş et al. (2021)
in the correlation between lifelong learning skills and preser-
vice teachers’ teaching–learning style
Different forms of teacher training in lifelong learning Simmons & Walker (2013)
Relation between lifelong learning tendencies and self-regulatory Nacaroglu et al. (2021)
skills
Factors that influence lifelong learning and/ Multi-layered influence of individual and organizational factors Shin & Jun (2019)
or lifelong learning abilities on lifelong learning competencies
Characteristics and traits that may indicate a person’s tendency Bath & Smith (2009)
for lifelong learning
Importance of external barriers to explain inequalities in lifelong Lavrijsen & Nicaise (2017)
learning participation
Personal learning environment (PLE) management’s forecast of Yen et al. (2019)
PLE application in fostering lifelong learning
Interpersonal communication in the learning and teaching envi- Deveci (2019)
ronment as a key indicator of current and future engagement in
lifelong learning
Role of personality traits and metacognitions in the acquisition of Grokholskyi et al. (2020)
lifelong learning competency
Impact of the pandemic on lifelong learning skills Deveci (2022)
Assessment processes that foster the improvement of metacogni- Matsumoto-Royo et al. (2022)
tion abilities and encourage lifelong learning
Challenges to improve lifelong learning in open universities Zuhairi et al. (2020)
Learning strategies of lifelong learners Muller & Beiten (2013)
How education can be organized to ensure quality and lifelong Buza et al. (2010)
learning

to develop a strong theory of lifelong learning. Consistent self-efficacy, and teaching–learning approaches. Moreo-
with the results of our systematic review is Steffens (2015) ver, they examined the factors affecting lifelong learning,
assertion that no single theory of learning can adequately lifelong learning skills, lifelong learning competencies,
account for all types of lifelong learning. and lifelong learning tendencies; the hierarchical effects of
The prior studies’ use of lifelong learning concepts can individual and organizational variables; external barriers;
be the basis for further studies to build comprehensive theo- professional learning environment; metacognitions; and per-
retical frameworks in line with the current situation. This sonality determinants. Alongside these factors, demographic
study’s concept analysis identified lifelong learning skills; components such as gender, age, subjects, and educational
lifelong learning competencies; and formal, nonformal, and level can also significantly influence lifelong learning. Fur-
informal learning as the most salient concepts. thermore, this review also found research gaps in lifelong
Meanwhile, the analysis of each empirical study’s learning in educational research, which offers the potential
research problems generated three shared research trends in to explore lifelong learning using variables such as new
lifelong learning. Additionally, these studies were found to learning communities, advanced teaching–learning tech-
have investigated the relation between lifelong learning abil- niques, learning styles, learning strategies and motivation
ities and other variables, such as professional competencies,

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Lifelong Learning in the Educational Setting: A Systematic Literature Review 413

Table 3  Analysis of research instruments based on their research problems

Research problems Research instruments Authors

Conceptual framework or policies of lifelong learning Interview Adams (2007)

Interviews, documents Tuparevska et al. (2020a)
Interviews, policy documents Tuparevska et al. (2020b)
Interview Rambla et al. (2020)
Lifelong learning abilities Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory Moore & Shaffer (2017)
Student surveys Kuit & Fildes 2014)
Lifelong learning tendencies scales (Sen & Durak (2022)
Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale Karataş et al. (2021)
Interview Simmons & Walker (2013)
Lifelong learning scale, semi-structured interviews Nacaroglu et al. (2021)
Lifelong learning competencies scales Shin & Jun (2019)
Factors that influence lifelong learning and/or lifelong Lifelong learning scale Bath & Smith (2009)
learning abilities Data from the Program for the International Assessment Lavrijsen & Nicaise (2017)
of Adult Competencies
Personal environment learning Yen et al. (2019)
Predispositions for Lifelong Learning Deveci (2019)
Questionnaire form on the individual experience of Grokholskyi et al. (2020)
LLL, development of LLL competency (scores of two
semesters)
Lifelong learning skills Deveci (2022)
“Metacognition and Lifelong Learning in the Teaching Matsumoto-Royo et al. (2022)
and Assessment of Future Teachers” questionnaire,
interview
Interviews, focus group discussion Zuhairi et al. (2020)
Learning styles instrument, coping strategies scale Muller & Beiten (2013)
Lifelong learning conception, the relation between teach- Buza et al. (2010)
ing and lifelong learning, interview

in addition to self-directed learning, personal learning envi- tendencies of all stakeholders in the educational setting. The
ronments, and educational technology. previous studies analyzed different factors that may shape
With regard to research methods, this study identified lifelong learning and/or lifelong learning abilities with all
only three studies that used mixed methods, indicating an possible participants. Considering the geographical con-
inadequacy in the field. Hence, all future research of lifelong text, more research must be conducted on the three research
learning should be conducted using mixed methods. Our trends in lifelong learning in Asia as opposed to Europe.
examination of instruments revealed different tools that were This will strengthen the generalizability of findings to spe-
used to assess the three common research problems. Such an cific target groups such as students, teachers, and teacher
effort may require the application of different data analysis trainers in the specific area.
techniques, including content analysis, descriptive analysis, Nevertheless, it must be emphasized that our study is
and inferential analysis. not without limitations. Our review may have overlooked
The prior studies, as a result of our review, only inter- several empirical studies that were not in Scopus, WoS, or
viewed lifelong learning specialists, young adults, and sec- ProQuest because we selected only open-access articles
ondary teachers to address their research issues, such as indexed in these databases. Additional research may have
concepts and policies. Indeed, the development of lifelong a different effect on the results. Neither the details of the
learning policies or conceptual frameworks would ben- research instruments nor the findings of each study can be
efit from the involvement of teachers from basic education examined in detail.
schools, teacher education institutions, and universities. Therefore, we recommend that subsequent systematic
Several research problems associated with lifelong reviews and meta-analyses in lifelong learning incorporate
learning capabilities involved university students, students articles indexed in other databases. Researchers may also
and teacher educators. In light of this, it is still important conduct future reviews examining the history and psycho-
to examine the lifelong learning skills, competencies, and metrics of research instruments used in lifelong learning and

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414 W. P. Thwe, A. Kálmán

Table 4  Analysis of participants based on research problems

Research problems Participants Context Authors

Conceptual framework or policies of Secondary school teachers Australia Adams (2007)

lifelong learning EU LL experts Europe Tuparevska et al. (2020a)
EU LL experts Europe Tuparevska et al. (2020b)
Young adults, experts Spain, Austria Rambla et al. (2020)
Lifelong learning abilities Undergraduate students United States Moore & Shaffer (2017)
Undergraduate students Australia Kuit & Fildes (2014)
Student teachers Turkey Sen & Durak (2022)
Student teachers Turkey Karataş et al. (2021)
Teacher educators England Simmons & Walker (2013)
Students Turkey (Nacaroglu et al. 2021)
Factors that influence lifelong learning Primary teachers Korea Shin & Jun (2019)
and/or lifelong learning abilities University students Australia Bath & Smith (2009)
Students Europe Lavrijsen & Nicaise (2017)
Master students United States Yen et al. (2019)
Students and teachers United Arab Emirates Deveci (2019)
Students Ukraine Grokholskyi et al. (2020)
Students United Arab Emirates Deveci (2022)
Student teachers United States Matsumoto-Royo et al. (2022)
Administrators, academic staff, students Taiwan, Indonesia Zuhairi et al. (2020)
Students Denmark, Finland, Germany Muller & Beiten (2013)
Postgraduate students and teachers in Albania Buza et al. (2010)
teacher education

considers the results of each empirical study. However, a in lifelong learning studies. Overall, educational research-
comparison of study findings in the Asian context continues ers must continue to conduct more mixed methods studies,
to be a challenge because not enough research has been con- focusing on the Asian context.
ducted in all possible lifelong learning research areas. Con-
sidering the impact of COVID-19, lifelong learning research Acknowledgements The first author is the Stipendium Hungaricum
Scholarship holder. This paper would have been impossible without
in new learning communities, environments, or organiza- the financial support of the Hungarian government’s Stipendium Hun-
tions may be conducted to capture updated information. garicum Scholarship in collaboration with the Myanmar government.

Funding Open access funding provided by University of Szeged.

Conclusion Declarations

This literature review aimed to identify concepts, theo- Conflict of interest There are no competing interests to declare.
ries, issues, trends, and research methodologies associated
with lifelong learning in educational research. Our find- Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons
ings addressed concepts, lifelong learning policies, lifelong Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adap-
tation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long
learning competencies, and formal, nonformal, and infor- as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source,
mal. The studies included in this review highlighted that a provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes
strong theory of lifelong learning has yet to be developed were made. The images or other third party material in this article are
and applied. In addition, we deductively examined three included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated
otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in
common research trends: issues with basic concepts or the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not
guiding principles of lifelong learning, problems surround- permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will
ing lifelong learning capacities, and challenges regarding need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a
variables that affect lifelong learning and/or lifelong learn- copy of this licence, visit http://​creat​iveco​mmons.​org/​licen​ses/​by/4.​0/.
ing capacities. Regarding methodology, we examined the
techniques, tools, data analysis, and participants included

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Lifelong Learning in the Educational Setting: A Systematic Literature Review 415

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