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LIFELONG LEARNING
IN THE OPINION OF STUDENTS
FROM SELECTED EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
J. Nikitorowicz
E. Zylkiewicz-Plonska
The phenomenon of multiculturalism and the human population mobility, especially among young people that we observe in recent decades, leads (motivates) to verify the self-identification and reflection on the perception of processes of creating Other peoples’ identity, reactions to Otherness and interactions with Others. This phenomenon seems to be particularly challenging for intercultural education that takes action to overcome and minimalize the importance of stereotypes and prejudices in thinking about what is mine and what is unfamiliar, strange and different. The existing paradigm of limiting self-concept to its national dimension, should be extended towards creative and active identity opening for other dimensions such as: international, continental and global, to actively participate in the processes of progressive symmetrical acculturation.
Mikhail Bakhtin’s ideas of borderland1 seems to constantly expand, widen and more clearly, multi-faceted, multi-dimensional identities of borderland man can be seen . Hence, we perceive education through the development of understanding of each other in continuing dialogue internally and externally, to achieve self-knowledge about themselves in dialogue with the world, in continuing relationship with the Others, as the acquisition of communication skills with the Others and their cultures, as the acquisition of competences in the process of exploring Others and the agreements with Others. In this context, in the Department of Intercultural Education at the University of Bialystok, which already have been functioning for twenty years, we are taking a number of research and methodological activities1 2 3 in this field, treating continuing education as a lifelong learning process, a never-ending task of development. Nowadays, we observe and participate in a public discourse to make an effort to change the
1 L. Witkowski, Uniwersalizm pogranicza o semiotyce kultury Michata Bachtina w kontekscie edukacji, Wydawnictwo Adam Marszatek, Torun 2000.
2 Consider about this in the following books and articles: J. Nikitorowicz, Kreowanie tozsamosci dziecka. Wyzwania edukacji mi^dzykulturowej, Gdanskie Wydawnictwo Psychologiczne, Gdansk 2005., Mtodziez pogranicza kulturowego Polski, Biatorusi i Ukrainy wobec integracji europejskiej. Tozsamosc, plany zyciowe, wartosci, Wyd. „Trans Humana”, Biatystok 2000., Edukacja regionalna i mi^dzykulturowa, Wydawnictwa Akademickie i Profesjonalne, Warszawa 2009.
3 Inter alia: J. Nikitorowicz, Ku pograniczu i cztowiekowi pogranicza w warunkach wielokulturowosci - nowa idea edukacji ustawicznej, w: Ksztatcenie ustawiczne do wielokulturowosci pod red. T. Lewowickiego i F. Szloska, Warszawa-Radom 2009, s. 119-129; J. Nikitorowicz, E. Zylkiewicz, Polskie szkolnictwo wyzsze w raporcie Lisbon Council „Obywatele i spoteczenstwo w dobie ery wiedzy”, [w:] Edukacja. Studia. Badania. Innowacje, Warszawa 2009, s. 138-144; E. Zylkiewicz-Plonska, Realizacja koncepcji Uczenie si§ przez cate zycie w wybranych krajach Unii Europejskiej, w: Edukacja - wczoraj, dzis i jutro, pod red. E. Jagietto, R. Matysiuk, U. Tulus, Siedlce 2013, 87-104.
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perception and the ways of interpreting current education, give it a value of progrowth and foster the creation of the concept of lifelong learning. Based on the above assumptions for several years, in the Department of Intercultural Education, we have been conducting the research concerning different elements of lifelong learning in education, mainly in intercultural education. The results of the study, which are presented in this paper, are a part of PhD research , about the European Dimension in Education, held from March 2012 to March 2014.
The results from the part of the research concerning lifelong learning, which is presented in this paper, aim to diagnose and compare the opinions about lifelong learning by young people (students) who participated in Lifelong Learning Programme (Erasmus) and come from selected European countries. The research was conducted among Belgian, Lithuanian and Polish students who experienced period of international mobility in their studies. Selection of countries was done on purpose, to compare gained results among students who come from “old European countries” as Belgium and “young European countries” as Lithuania and Poland. Selected countries differ mainly because of economic and political situation, level of democracy in society, cultural diversity and ways of educating people. All surveyed students had similar experience of studying in different European country. The additional aim of the study was to examine the age at which respondents followed the LLP-Erasmus Programme, to present practical implementation of Lifelong Learning Concept in educational practice. The research was conducted within implementation of a survey technique using a questionnaire authoring tool "European dimension of education". The group of 307 students who participated in the LLP-Erasmus in the academic years 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 was enabled to participate in quantitative research. The overall research population consists of 79,2% of women, while the men were almost four times less (20.8%). Related diversification of gender, we can observe among students with regard to the independent variable - nationality. Among the respondents, 81.2% of Belgian students were women, while 18.8% were men. Even more feminine was the research environment in Lithuania, where 84.8% of research group consisted of women, and only 15.2% were men. Among the Polish respondents, students gender diversity was also big, but in comparison perspective with the other two countries, the smallest. Groups of Polish students who were surveyed consisted in 71.3% of women, while 28.7% of the respondents were men. These significant disproportions in gender, highlight three factors that have influenced it. First, that the higher education environment becomes more feminine nowadays. Second, that the higher rate of research was conducted among social science students and more women than men study these fields of science. Third, that women were more willing to agree to participate in the research. 1
1 The research is supervised by Prof. Nikitorowicz and conducted by E. Zylkiewicz-Plonska.
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The first element which is being analysed, is the age of the students who took part in the research. The reason to do so, is to diagnose in what age the majority of surveyed students, participated in one of the Lifelong Learning Programmes such as Erasmus.
Graph 2. The age of the respondents from the selected European countries
While the research, the students from selected European countries (Belgium, Lithuania and Poland) were asked several questions concerning lifelong learning. They had to assess the level of their agreement with the statement, following the scale from 5 to 1, when 5 means ‘definitely agree’, 4 - ‘rather agree’, 3 - hard to say, 2 - ‘rather disagree’, 1 - ‘definitely disagree’. During analyses three levels of agreeing with the statement were distinguished: high - (5 - 4), average -
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(3), low - (2 - 1). The statements which are being presented in the paper, are those that gained significantly different results in the answers of the students’ from selected countries. In the statistical analyses The Kruskal-Wallis Test and post hoc test were used, to present statistical significance between the answers which were received in the research. The respondents were asked in what degree do they agree with the statement that ‘Lifelong learning is important for leading full and satisfying life’(graph 3). The majority of all students (83,2% Poles, 80% Lithuanians and 70,3% Belgians) declared high acceptance to the statement that ‘Lifelong learning is important for leading full and satysfying life’. In contast, less than 5% of researched students (5% Belgians, 4,8% Lithuanians and only 2% from Poland) presented low agreement to the stament which is being analysed.
Graph 3. Lifelong learning is important for leading full and satisfying life
Despite the fact, that the tendency in received results were similar, the statistical differences were significant between the given answers (K-W; H = 12,166; p < 0,01). Additionally, after implementing post hoc test, it appeared that the statistical differences are significant between Belgian versus Lithuanian students (p < 0,01) and between Belgian versus Polish students (p < 0,05). We can draw the conclusion, that for more Lithuanian and Polish students, lifelong learning has more significant meaning for leading full and satisfying life, than for Belgian students. It may mean that students from Lithuania and Poland are aware that they have to compete in the labour market and that if they want to be attractive for future employee, they have to improve their professional skills. Additionally, the unemployment scale in Lithuania and Poland is much higher than in Belgium which shows that the level of competition in the labor market is higher in those two countries.
The second statement is that ‘Lifelong learning allows people to “take life into their own hands”’ (graph 4). More than 80% of the students (86,2% Poles, 83,9% Lithuanians and 82,1% Belgians) who participated in the research
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presented high level of acceptance to the statement that ‘Lifelong learning allows people to ‘take life into their own hands’. In comparison, less than 6% of the students (6% of Belgians, 5,9% of Poles and 2,9% of Lithuanians) rather or totally disagree with the analysed statement that shows low level of acceptance of the statement.
Graph 4. Lifelong learning allows people to ‘take life into their own hands’
The significant statistical differences were noticed between the results gained for the compared groups (K-W; H = 11,564; p < 0,01). It was proved that that the given answers between Belgian and Polish students were statistically significant (p < 0,01). The conclusion is that more Polish than Belgian students declared higher level of acceptance of the statement that ‘Lifelong learning allows people to “take life into their hands”’. Gained results, refer to the previous statement about the importance of lifelong learning in life generally. It shows that mainly Polish students are more frequently convinced than Belgian students that if they want to have an influence on their life, they have to participate in lifelong learning and to develop their competences continuously.
The third statement that the students were asked to refer to was: ‘Lifelong learning should only take place when a person is young’ (graph 5). The majority of surveyd students (88,1% Belgians, 62,4% Poles and 57,2% Lithuanians) disagree (definitely disagree or rather disagree) with the above statement. That means that the respondents think that lifelong learning should not only take place when the person is young, but also when people are in middle age or older. On the contrary, 22,8% of Lithuanian, 11,9% Polish and only 2% of Belgian students declare high level of acceptance of the analysed statement.
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Graph 5. Lifelong learning should only take place when a person is young
There have been noticed significant statistical difference between the comparison groups (K-W; H = 20,645; p < 0,001). Within usage of post hoc test it appeared that significant statistical differences appeared between Belgian versus Lithuanian respondents (p < 0,001) and Belgian versus Polish students (p < 0,01). It indicates that more Belgians than Lithuanians or Poles, are willing to present low acceptance for narrowing understanding lifelong learning as a process that should only take place when a person is young. It shows that Belgian students were more frequently convinced in their declaration that not only when people are young they should learn, but also through their whole life. It may also mean that in Poland and Lithuania there are less possibilities for learning for people who are older. Consequently, it may be due to the facts that in those countries there are less places which offer education for people after finishing their studies, but also that not everybody who is willing to participate in lifelong learning is able to afford it because of financial reason.
The fourth statements was: ‘Lifelong learning allows people to find employment and to develop their careers’ (graph 6). The majority of researched students (80% Lithuanians, 77,3% Poles and 63,3% Belgians) declaired high level of acceptance to the statement that ‘Lifelong learning allows people to find employment and to develop their career’. In contrast, only 6% Belgian students, 5% Polish respondents and 2,9% Lithuanians definitely or rather disagree with the analysed sentence.
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Graph 6. Lifelong learning allows people to find employment and to develop their careers
Despite the fact, that we can observe similar tendency in gained results of the research, there has been noticed significant statistical difference between the countries (K-W; H = 14,001; p < 0,01). Moreover, implementing post hoc test, appeared that the statistical differences are significant between Belgian versus Lithuanian students (p < 0,01) and between Belgian versus Polish students (p < 0,05). We can draw the conclusion that both, Lithuanians and Poles more frequently declared higher level of conviction that participation in lifelong learning allows people to find a job and to develop their career. Gained results prove the conclusion given in first and second statement, that according to Lithuanians and Poles participation in lifelong learning provides specific type of guarantee for being attractive on the labor market and that people participate in lifelong learning for being more competitive and demanding for their employees.
The next statement that was assessed by the students: ‘Lifelong learning is important because today nobody can expect to remain in the same job during their whole career’ (graph 7). The majority of respondents from Poland (75,2%), Lithuania (73,3%) and less than a half from Belgium (45,6%) declared high level of acceptance to the statement that ‘Lifelong learning is important because today nobody can expect to remain in the same job during their whole career’. In contrast, low level of acceptance of the above statement, acknowledged 19,8% Belgian, 7,9% Polish and 3,9% Lithuanian students. It demonstrates that majority of Polish and Lithuanian respondents perceive lifelong learning as a strategy to remain active in a current labour market.
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Graph 7. Lifelong learning is important because today nobody can expect to remain in the same job during their whole career
During analyses, significant statistical differences were noticed between the researched groups (K-W; H = 32,811; p < 0,001). Within usage of post hoc test, it appeared that there are significant statistical differences in given answers by Belgian and Lithuanian students (p < 0,001) and also between Belgian and Polish (p < 0,001). It may be formulated the conclusion that more frequently Lithuanian and Polish respondents perceive lifelong learning as an aspect connected with their professional situation in their life, than with themselves (with their individual and social development). In case of Lithuanian and Polish respondents, lifelong learning is rather treated in an instrumental way, as a matter of their employability than self-development for own pleasure.
The last statement that respondents were asked to assess was: ‘Lifelong learning is not important at all’ (graph 8). The majority of respondents (94% Belgians, 82,1% Polish and 71,4% Lithuanians) express a high level of disagreement with the above statement. On the contrary, there were much less surveyed students who declared high level of acceptance to the statement (14,3% Lithuanians, 7% Poles and 2% Belgians). It indicates that lifelong learning is a concept which is broadly accepted and perceived as important among surveyed students (more frequently among Belgians and Poles than Lithuanians). It is worth noticing, that in the previous answers Belgian students were not such extreme as in this one. That may mean that they are convinced of the validity of lifelong learning concept in their life.
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There have been noticed the differences in surveyed groups’ answers that are statistically significant (K-W; H = 14,574; p < 0,001). Moreover, it appeared that the respondents from Belgium more often than from Lithuania or Poland declared lower level of agreement and acceptance to the attitude that lifelong learning concept is not important at all (p < 0,01). The gained result indicates that more often Belgian students than Lithuanian or Polish, declared higher importance of lifelong learning in their society. It may mean that possibilities of lifelong learning are more affordable and common in Belgium than in other two countries from which students participated in the research.
We can draw general conclusion that the majority of surveyed students from selected European countries have positive attitude towards lifelong learning. The difference between Belgian versus Lithuanian and Polish students is that they more frequently declared higher importance of lifelong learning through whole life, not only when person is young. Additionally, the level of diagreement with the statement that ‘Lifelong learning is not important at all’ among Belgians versus Lithuanians and Poles is higher. Both elements may indicate that lifelong learning in general is more crucial for Belgians than for respondents from other two national groups. It may also show that in Belgium there are more developed possibilities for citizens’ participation in lifelong learning activities.
On the contrary, Lithuanian and Polish students, who participated in the research, declaired higher importance of lifelong learning in peoples’ life than Belgian respondents. Additionally, surveyed students from “new European” countries express their opinion that lifelong learning is more important in the aspect of professional functioning in the labour market. It may mean that students from Lithuania and Poland are aware that they have to compete in the labour market and that if they want to be attractive for future employee, they have to improve their professional skills. Moreover, the unemployment scale in Lithuania and Poland is
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much higher than in Belgium which means that the level of competition in the labor market is higher in those two countries.
The last conclusion that may be delivered is that Polish students declaired higher level of readiness to ‘take life into their hands’. It may show that Poles express their ability, but also readiness to engage themselves for self-development and for an improvement of their lifes.
References
1. J. Nikitorowicz, Kreowanie tozsamosci dziecka. Wyzwania edukacji mi^dzykulturowej, Gdanskie Wydawnictwo Psychologiczne, Gdansk 2005.,
2. J. Nikitorowicz, Mtodziez pogranicza kulturowego Polski, Biatorusi i Ukrainy wobec integracji europejskiej. Tozsamosc, plany zyciowe, wartosci, Wyd. „Trans Humana”, Bialystok 2000.
3. J. Nikitorowicz, Edukacja regionalna i mi^dzykulturowa, Wydawnictwa Akademickie i Profesjonalne, Warsaw 2009.
4. J. Nikitorowicz, Ku pograniczu i cztowiekowi pogranicza w warunkach wielokulturowosci -nowa idea edukacji ustawicznej, w: Ksztatcenie ustawiczne do wielokulturowosci pod red. T. Lewowickiego i F. Szloska, Warsaw-Radom 2009, s. 119-129;
5. J. Nikitorowicz, E. Zylkiewicz, Polskie szkolnictwo wyzsze w raporcie Lisbon Council „Obywatele i spoteczenstwo w dobie ery wiedzy”, [w:] Edukacja. Studia. Badania. Innowacje, Warsaw 2009, s. 138-144;
6. L. Witkowski, Uniwersalizm pogranicza o semiotyce kultury Michata Bachtina w kontekscie edukacji, Wydawnictwo Adam Marszatek, Torun 2000.
7. E. Zylkiewicz-Plonska, Realizacja koncepcji Uczenie si§ przez cate zycie w wybranych krajach Unii Europejskiej, w: Edukacja - wczoraj, dzis i jutro, pod red. E. Jagietto, R. Matysiuk, U. Tulus, Siedlce 2013, 87-104.
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