The purpose of this study was to determine the obstacles and motivators Evelyn Thompson Lawrence addressed in her thirst for lifelong learning and desire to share that learning through her life stories. The researcher also sought to understand how everyday events played a role in the outcome of Lawrence's life. More than just observing major events, the researcher considered ways the smallest moments made an impact on Lawrence's continued desire for learning. This study evolved through Lawrence's accounts. By allowing this African American woman, who was a lifelong Appalachian, to explore her past and present, a wide array of experiences emerged that would provide a more holistic view of a lifelong learner. The interviews with Lawrence were both video- and audio-taped to ensure proper acquirement of Lawrence's life stories told in narrative form. In addition to the interviews, Lawrence provided numerous primary documents such as awards, photographs, news clippings, and books to add a deeper dimension to the portraiture. To verify the information Lawrence provided, three subjects who had connections with Lawrence in specific areas of her life were interviewed. The interviews from this qualitative research with Lawrence and the secondary subjects were transcribed, coded, and considered for emergent themes. Three distinct areas appeared as the portrait of Lawrence's life was painted through her life stories: her connections to her family, her profession and academics, and her community. Through this research the researcher recognized that history was a factor in motivating Lawrence to become a lifelong learner, and there was a connection between research results on the characteristics of lifelong learners and the characteristics exhibited by Lawrence. Her desire to acquire knowledge, both formal and informal, continues to this day. Future studies might include provisions for the needs of the lifelong learner and the importance of looking at the individual's life in its entirety as a means for determining how best to nurture a love of learning as an adult. Throughout this research it became apparent that the adult could find meaning from the past and motivation for the future through life stories.

In this study the researcher's intent was to examine the initial academic goals and objectives of successful adult-degree completers in 4 baccalaureate-degree programs at East Tennessee State University. Although there has been much written about adult motivation to re-enter formal education, there have been few studies of adult students' goals as they entered degree-completion programs. The purpose of this study was to provide a framework for the understanding of the academic goals and objectives expressed by adult students as they were starting to return to college. Research questions that guided the study included exploration of student goals and objectives, an examination of differences among adult students' statements with regard to age, ethnicity, or gender, and an examination of differences in those statements of goals and objectives written over a range of years. An open an axial coding method was developed to analyze 637 statements written by degree-completion students who graduated between 1999 and 2008. Seven themes emerged among students' essays that describe those students' motivations to re-enter the university and their goals at the point of entry to those degree programs. First, students indicated they wanted to earn degrees. Second, some students identified trigger events that had prompted their return to the university. The third theme included professional goals and motivators that were included in students' statements of goals and objectives. Fourth, students cited personal motivators and goals for completing their undergraduate degrees. Fifth, students wrote about institutional barriers that led them to choose a degree-completion program over a more traditional model. Sixth, students wrote about attractive features of their respective adult-degree-completion programs. Seventh, students placed their learning in the context of a broader commitment to lifelong learning.

As we enter the 21st century our population of elderly citizens is growing at a rate never seen before in our history. With the baby boomers retiring, society is realizing the vast potential of untapped resources. These individuals are also seeking opportunities to remain as active and engaged members of their communities. The purpose of this study was to examine the motivations for lifelong learning in the life of Hendrika "Henny" Schuster, an 81-year-old resident of Abingdon, Virginia. Her life story is presented in a narrative form and in a thematically organized chronological format. Interviews were conducted and recorded. These tapes were transcribed and analyzed to determine themes. Additional information was collected from personal journals, scrapbooks, and newspaper and magazine articles and photographs. The importance of family, formal educational opportunities, the influence of others, selfdirected study, and involvement in community all emerged as motivating themes in her pursuit of lifelong learning opportunities. For Henny, the factors identified as barriers to her quest included the internal stressors of family, gender, culture, and educational opportunities. Recommendations include the need to not only provide more educational opportunities for adult learners but also ensure that such opportunities are readily accessible. It is suggested that future studies look at the roles of gender and culture in regard to the ever changing populace and the global view of our world. There is a need to continue studies such as this in which older adult learners are provided opportunities to reflect on their experiences. Insight for learners of all ages can be gained from such studies.

In the postmodern Information Age (digital and wireless) with the expanded globalization of economies worldwide, there has been a vast transformation of workplace and educational systems. Thus, new meanings for educational practices and learning are evolving. Medical and social literature has suggested that learning throughout the lifetime is the key to successful living. The literature proposed that all types of education (formal, informal, and nonformal) may be a factor in the total well-being of the increasingly older adult population. Consequently, there is an increased need to understand the characteristics, traits, beliefs, and attitudes that generate the incentive for individuals to become lifelong learners. The purpose of this study was to examine the life of Elizabeth Armetta Gammon Pendleton and identify the characteristics, personality traits, beliefs, and attitudes that distinguish her as a lifelong learner. From an interpretivist perspective, this study assumed that all reality is internal. The rationale of this educational biography was to explore the phenomenon of lifelong learning while also celebrating the unique life of Elizabeth Pendleton. This study employed a detailed narrative description of her life and interviews with people who knew her to construct and develop a theory grounded in oral and traditional history under the framework of lifelong learning. As a native of a small rural community in the Appalachian Mountains, Pendleton lived a healthy and optimistic life as a student, teacher, leader, and role model for her family, friends, coworkers, and community members. She experienced formal, informal, and nonformal learning for 95 years. Although she never used the phrase "lifelong learner," she certainly had an inclination toward lifelong learning. The value of this study of Pendleton's life journey emerges in the form of naturalistic and user (reader) generalizations within the framework of lifelong learning. The study of Elizabeth Pendleton's life journey yielded valuable insights that provide an understanding of the phenomenon of lifelong learning and the challenges that researchers, educators, employers, and individuals face as new meanings for educational practices and learning evolve.

This thesis develops methods of task localization, task similarity discovery, and task transfer for eventual use in a reinforcement learning task library system, which can effectively “learn to learn,” improving its performance as it encounters various tasks over the lifetime of the learning system.

The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge about the experiences of adult amateur string players. Through narrative inquiry, this study presents the unique stories of two amateur string players who have sustained their active music-making throughout their adult lives. Leaders in music education have promised lifelong music-making and touted it as a benefit of supporting music in schools. This promise is part of vision statements, symposia, advocacy efforts, and guiding documents for the last century. Yet, the most common outcome for students who participate in school music programs is that they quit before they graduate high school, or soon afterward. The idea of school music segueing into lifetime music-making for large numbers of students remains an aspiration and not the outcome. I used narrative inquiry to explore and present the stories of these two players. Their experiences are unique, and it is not appropriate to generalize their narratives to others. However, I hope that by closely examining the experiences they considered impactful in their lives as music students and amateur musicians, music educators can better understand the ways their teaching practices might lead to students' enjoyment of music-making past their student years. Implications for practicing music teachers and future research are discussed.

Understanding and promoting lifelong learning in employees is important for employees' future marketability (Robinson & Rousseau, 1994) and for creating learning organizations (Senge, 1990). To further this understanding, components of a model of the motivation to engage in continuous employee development (Garofano & Salas, 2005) were tested. New scales were created for work-related implicit theory and outcome expectations and the validity of these scales and these variables in the model were investigated. Alternate models were also contrasted with the Garofano and Salas model (2005). The study used self-report surveys administered to staff and faculty recruited from training classes in higher learning institutions in a three month longitudinal investigation. The results suggest that work-related implicit theory is a valid contributor in this model but that modifications to the model may be beneficial, including a more complex central motivational component. Implications of these results for organizational practice are discussed along with study limitations and future research implications

The purpose of this study was to identify and assess Texas community orchestras and create a demographic and musical profile of participants. This was accomplished through use of two online questionnaires. A director survey questionnaire determined the organizational status of each orchestra. The directors surveyed were leaders in these organizations who provided information about their orchestras’ founding, budget, and membership numbers. The participant survey questionnaire was adapted from Bowen’s 1995 study of community band participants in the southeastern United States. Participant data included educational and musical training, musical activities, and demographics. Bowen’s study guided this venture in expanding a profile of community musicians to include those in community orchestras. Eleven of the 18 community orchestras identified in Texas responded to the questionnaires distributed, with 361 participant questionnaires returned. Although many music making opportunities for adults are available in Texas, the existence of only 18 community orchestras in the state indicates a tremendous gap between school music making and adult music making in these types of ensembles, given 44,000 Texas school orchestras reported competing in 2010–2011. Research has shown that making music increases the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual wellbeing of those who take part. As serious leisure, community music making experiences enable those involved an opportunity to engage in a challenging, satisfying, and meaningful activity. All members of a community should have access to such opportunities because these activities may improve their quality of life. According to the profiles in the participant survey questionnaires, the following activities may encourage more participation in adult music making: Offering diverse music making opportunities, intergenerational music activities, encouraging community music experiences, and the modeling adult music making by teachers.

There is a wealth of literature on people who participate in community instrumental ensembles. Studies exist regarding demographics, educational level, socio-economic status, music education experience, and musical self-identities of community music participants. Far less study focuses on young adults who were successful in high school programs but chose not to continue playing in a community instrumental ensemble group after the end of formal schooling. Traditional assumptions about their reasons—job and family for example—need to be examined. Attribution Theory, which provides a means of analyzing motivation for choices as well as perceived attributions for success or failure, was the theoretical framework of this research, with focus group interviews as the main procedural methodology. The geographic area of the study was limited to the greater Los Angeles area of southern California. Music education literature is replete with references to building skills and values for lifelong participation in music, whether in performance, in listening, or in engaging with music in other ways. This study will offer insight into why many young adults who were once in high school music choose not to continue in instrumental music performance beyond their high school years. I anticipate that this research may lead to better understanding of issues in young adult stages of life as they relate to choices about non-participation in community instrumental ensembles. This research suggests ways in which school music education can facilitate lifelong engagement with music, and will suggest how community ensembles might make changes that will broaden participation by a greater number of young adults after they leave school.

Bakgrunden till denna studie var att EU:s rekommendation om åtta nyckelkompetenser för livslångtlärande är något som medlems länderna förhåller sig till vid utformning av utbildning. Syftet med undersökningen var att belysa hur nyckelkompetenserna kommer till uttryck i svensk, finländsk och åländsk slöjdundervisning. Empirin bestod av kvalitativa intervjuer och läroplanstexter som genom hermeneutiskt arbetssätt lästs och analyserats. Undersökningen gav svar på två frågeställningar: Vilka likheter och skillnader finns i framskrivningen av EU:s nyckelkompetenser i de tre kursplanerna ochderas betygskriterier? Hur tar sig nyckelkompetenserna uttryck i slöjdlärarnas utformning avundervisningen? Resultatet visade att nyckelkompetenserna ingår i slöjdundervisningen men att de inte är tydligt uttalade. I den finländska och åländska kursplanen i slöjd är kompetenserna i något omformulerad form sammankopplade med undervisningsmål och ämnesinnehåll. I den svenskakursplanen nämns inte kompetenserna, men innebörden av dem finns inkluderad i läroplanens allmänna del.