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Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

Theoretical Background of the Concept "Lifelong Learning Tendency of Prospective Teachers"

Sumanya Debbarma,  Priyank Kumar Shivam*
Published in International Journal of Secondary Education (Volume 13, Issue 3)
Received: 19 August 2025     Accepted: 2 September 2025     Published: 25 September 2025
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Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding lifelong learning tendency amongst prospective teachers, a critical area of educational research reflecting the growing recognition that effective teaching requires continuous professional development. Drawing upon multiple learning theories including constructivism, transformational learning, self-directed learning, and social cognitive theory, this review synthesises contemporary research demonstrating how prospective teachers' dispositions towards lifelong learning significantly influence their professional development and teaching effectiveness. The paper examines four core components of lifelong learning tendency: motivation and self-determination, persistence and resilience, curiosity and openness to experience, and learning regulation and self-management. Environmental and contextual factors, including social-cultural contexts and institutional support, are analysed alongside professional identity development processes. Recent international investigations employing the Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale document moderate to elevated continuities of lifelong learning orientation among pre-service teachers, tempered by salient demographic and programme-specific differentiations. The synthesis of these findings underscores the imperative for teacher education curricula to consciously foreground the nurturing of lifelong learning dispositions, integrating directed interventions, complementary learning ecologies, and co-ordinated strategies that entwine the development of professional identity with the enhancement of Self Efficacy beliefs.

Published in International Journal of Secondary Education (Volume 13, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijsedu.20251303.13
Page(s) 73-80
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group
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Keywords

Lifelong Learning, Prospective Teachers, Teacher Education, Professional Development, Learning Theories

1. Introduction
The propensity for continual learning among pre-service educators has steadily ascended the academic agenda, underscoring the consensus that pedagogical efficacy depends upon enduring professional refinement and the agility to traverse evolving educational landscapes. Evidence indicates that the strength of future teachers’ lifelong learning (LL) elevation considerably influences subsequent trajectories of professional development, the calibre of pedagogical performance, and, by extension, the learning outcomes of their pupils
[10, 34, 37]
. The present line of inquiry integrates divergent learning theories, psychological constructs, and advancement models, thereby illuminating the processes by which would-be educators both initiate and sustain their allegiance to ongoing professional learning.
Today’s educational landscape-characterized by the accelerated pace of technological change, the increasing diversity of student populations, and significant shifts in instructional paradigms-necessitates that educators embrace an identity of continuous learners throughout their professional lives. The UNESCO Institute for LL
[35]
asserts that teachers should engage in perpetual professional development to anticipate and effectively address the broadening spectrum of societal and pedagogical exigencies. This mandate has stimulated a deepening scholarly focus on the conceptual foundations that nurture lifelong learning orientations within programs for preparing teachers.
The present investigation aims to enrich the academic discourse on the LL disposition of teacher candidates by rigorously reviewing the supporting theoretical traditions, delineating its core dimensions, clarifying the contextual factors that cultivate it, and evaluating the quantitative and qualitative evidence that elucidates its contribution to the process of teacher development.
2. Foundational Learning Theories
2.1. Constructivist Learning Theory
Constructivist learning theory offers a crucial analytical lens for examining the lifelong learning orientations of emerging educators. Originating with Jean Piaget and later expanded by Lev Vygotsky, the framework posits that knowledge is actively forged by learners as they interact with their surroundings and negotiate understandings with peers, rather than being passively inherited from expert discourse
[10, 3, 2]
. For teacher candidates, the theory emphasizes that professional growth transcends the mere acquisition of fragmented competencies; it is a fluid, iterative journey during which existing conceptual frameworks are critically reconfigured in response to new, contextualised pedagogical demands. This perspective situates the teacher not as a finished product but as a learner-in-practice, for whom the impetus to pursue further learning is a natural extension of the processes that govern initial preparation
[3]
.
Current scholarship affirms that constructivist instructional principles will fortify lifelong learning dispositions by inciting educators to regard themselves as perpetual learners compelled to interact substantively with evolving pedagogical strategies and technological innovations
[20]
. A constructivist orientation posits that learning acquires its most compelling character when it can be transposed to genuine contexts, a premise that coincides with the practice-centred architecture of teacher preparation curricula
[3]
. Candidates who internalise constructivist assumptions typically exhibit intensitified reflective dispositions, subsequently participating in co-operative learning structures that reinforce their inclination toward enduring professional development
[29]
.
These conceptual underpinnings substantiate the view that lifelong learning transcends mere accumulations of data; it constitutes the evolving capacity to interrogate, assimilate, and recontextualise novel information within established professional schemas. As Fosnot
[16]
articulates, the potency of the constructivist stance resides in its responsiveness to the distinctive characteristics of adult learners.
2.2. Transformational Learning Theory
Jack Mezirow’s transformational learning theory is instrumental for examining why prospective teachers engage in lifelong learning. Mezirow emphasizes that adult learners can fundamentally alter their frames of reference when they habitually and critically scrutinize their assumptions
[27, 32, 23]
. For individuals training to become teachers, this process is vital because it illustrates how they transition from students to reflective, professional educators prepared to rethink their initial beliefs about pedagogy and the learner
[27]
.
The process usually is initiated by a “disorienting dilemma,” an experience that unsettles and brings into question previously accepted beliefs
[32]
. Within teacher education, such a dilemma might surface when beginners work with learners from varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds, when they are introduced to unfamiliar instructional strategies, or when they encounter educational philosophies markedly different from the ones they have known
[23]
. Mezirow’s account indicates that the subsequent learning is comprehensive: it encompasses instrumental learning, oriented to mastering specific instructional tasks, and communicative learning, oriented to grasping the significance of actions and to empathizing with diverse viewpoints
[27]
. For prospective teachers, this dual learning is indispensable; they must acquire the competent performance of teaching techniques while simultaneously developing a richer, critically informed awareness of pedagogical ends and the complex needs of students.
Research indicates that transformational learning during preservice training substantially strengthens prospective educators’ tendencies toward lifelong learning by cultivating critical inquiry, self-reflection, and readiness for change
[11]
. The theory’s focus on perspective transformation corresponds precisely to the developmental requirements of future teachers, who must constantly recalibrate their instructional methods in response to novel research, shifting student demographics, and the evolving demands of the educational landscape.
2.3. Self-Directed Learning Theory
Malcolm Knowles’ self-directed learning theory, foundational to adult learning scholarship, elucidates how prospective teachers cultivate self-governing learning capacities
[25, 26, 9]
. Knowles characterized self-directed learning as a “process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes”
[25]
, p. 18.
The present analysis underscores the utility of andragogical theory in articulating the lifelong learning orientations of teacher candidates, since it foregrounds dimensions of agency and self-regulation that are hallmarks of professionals dedicated to sustained development
[17]
. Longitudinal research demonstrates that pre-service teachers who refine self-directed learning competencies are subsequently more likely to pursue systematic and deliberate professional growth over the course of their teaching careers
[25]
. The theoretical framework postulates a constellation of assumptions about adult learners that intersect productively with the profile of teacher candidates: they require demonstrable relevance in their studies, they contribute substantive experiential knowledge, they are propelled by intrinsic motivators, and they favour learning that is organised around resolving authentic problems rather than around discrete disciplines
[9]
.
Empirical evidence indicates that teacher education curricula explicitly incorporating self-directed learning constructs yield graduates who exhibit pronounced and sustained predispositions toward lifelong learning
[37, 34]
. Such educators are noted for their proactive pursuit of continuing education, their facility with self-evaluation and reflexive practice, and their enduring professional commitment across differing career stages.
2.4. Social Cognitive Theory
Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory provides a robust framework for examining how enduring learning orientations evolve through social contexts and the mechanism of observational learning
[4-6]
. At its core, the theory articulates the principle of reciprocal determinism, positing that learning outcomes emerge from the continuous and mutually influential interplay among behavioural choices, cognitive variables, and situational contexts
[5]
. For teacher candidates, the framework elucidates how professional dispositions crystallise through systematic observation of mentor practitioners, joint engagement with peer cohorts, and active participation in broader educational milieus.
A pivotal element of the framework is the construct of self-efficacy (SE), defined by Bandura
[6]
as an individual’s conviction in their capacity to execute behaviours necessary for desired outcomes in specific domains. Empirical evidence has consistently linked robust teacher SE to a predisposition for lifelong learning, indicating that educators with heightened self-belief are more inclined to undertake rigorous professional development and to exercise resilience in the face of obstacles
[33, 24]
. Moreover, the theory foregrounds observational learning as a mechanism by which aspirant educators internalise a normative orientation toward continuous professional evolution by witnessing seasoned colleagues demonstrate sustained commitment to growth. The iterative process of negotiating meaning with peers not only cultivates a sense of collective efficacy but also situates the development of reflective practice within the same sociocultural conditions that future educators will later confront in their classrooms. Consequently, teacher educators are encouraged to embed collaborative structures and to foster a culture in which vulnerability in practice and inquiry is valued. Doing so not only models the very dispositions of lifelong learners that teacher preparation programs seek to instil, but also harnesses the relational energy inherent in communities of practice to reinforce, rather than merely assess, the evolving professional identity of the preservice cohort.
2.5. Core Components of Lifelong Learning Tendency
2.5.1. Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation remains a critical predictor of whether prospective teachers will sustain a LL orientation
[10, 37, 1]
, and the literature highlights that intrinsic forms of motivation-stemming from genuine interest, enjoyment, and a sense of fulfillment-correlate more robustly with the practice of ongoing learning than do extrinsic incentives
[24]
. Self-Determination Theory offers a coherent rationale by positing that the satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs promotes a robust commitment to lifelong pedagogical formation.
Quantitative and qualitative investigations converge in indicating that more motivated teacher candidates report higher participation in professional development sessions, embrace educational innovations with optimism, and exhibit a disciplined, reflective stance toward practice
[37, 34]
. When measured through the Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale (LLTS), motivation levels are significantly elevated among those who proactively pursue additional learning and who recast difficulties into developmental milestones rather than insurmountable barriers
[10, 13]
.
Empirical investigations consistently demonstrate a positive association between achievement motivation and the inclination toward lifelong learning
[1]
. Among pre-service teachers, those oriented by achievement ideals adopt more ambitious academic objectives, exhibit extended perseverance in the presence of adversity, and report a heightened sense of fulfilment from developmental experiences related to their future vocation.
2.5.2. Persistence and Resilience in Learning
Persistence, a foundational element of the lifelong learning disposition, denotes the sustained exertion and adherence to learning endeavours in the face of challenges and interruptions
[37, 34]
. Evidence indicates that, for pre-service teachers, the ability to remain steadfast is critical owing to the profession’s inherent complexity and exigency
[18]
. Longitudinal analyses reveal that candidates who manifest pronounced persistence throughout training programmes are statistically more likely to enter the profession and to engage in continuous professional learning for the duration of their careers.
Persistence in learning is shaped by a combination of SE beliefs, goal orientation, and supportive social networks
[31]
. Novice teachers who cultivate robust persistence during their preparation programmes tend to navigate evolving educational contexts more successfully, integrate innovative pedagogical practices, and sustain professional growth even in demanding school settings
[18]
. Longitudinal studies have correlated persistence indices obtained in pre-service training with later patterns of professional development participation, overall job satisfaction, and improved teacher retention
[19]
.
2.5.3. Curiosity and Openness to Experience
Curiosity is defined as the innate, forward-looking impulse to investigate unfamiliar ideas, events, and phenomena that serves as a primary catalyst for LL
[25, 29]
. Research indicates that pre-service teachers who register high levels of curiosity tend to craft more inventive lesson plans, demonstrate positive attitudes toward integrative technology, and display a willingness to trial diverse instructional methods
[22]
. Concurrently, studies exploring the nexus between personality traits and LL consistently identify openness to experience as a strong longitudinal correlate of persistent educational engagement across the human life course.
Curiosity flourishes in environments that encourage active discovery, invite rigorous questioning, and develop analytical thinking
[29]
. When teacher preparation programmes emphasise inquiry-based instruction, systematic reflection, and diverse practice placements, the resulting graduates not only demonstrate heightened curiosity but also embrace the notion of LL as an exciting challenge and an enduring personal aspiration
[36, 37]
.
Recent empirical studies have substantiated a robust link between the teachers’ curiosity and the overall effectiveness of their instructional practice. Instructors who maintain an authentic curiosity across their professional lives are more effective in engaging students, in innovating their instructional strategies, and in achieving elevated job satisfaction
[22]
. These findings underscore the imperative to purposefully foster curiosity in teacher education, establishing a durable foundation for both pedagogical excellence and sustained professional growth.
2.5.4. Learning Regulation and Self-Management
Learning regulation-entailing the orchestration of goal articulation, temporal planning, strategic selection of learning methods, and systematic self-evaluation-forms an essential agent of the predisposition for sustained lifelong engagement
[37, 34]
. Research shows that pre-service teachers who internalise self-regulatory processes navigate the continuing professional learning landscape with greater sophistication and resilience
[29]
. Scores on the LLTS corroborate that elevated levels of learning regulation reliably forecast ongoing professional development participation and patterns of sustained career ascendancy.
Such competencies flourish within teacher education curricula prioritising reflective discourse, systematic self-assessment, and metacognitive monitoring
[29]
. In-service teachers trained to track their learning patterns, identify and diagnose vulnerabilities, and architect responsive improvement plans manifest both a heightened commitment to lifelong learning pathways and an observable enhancement of pedagogical practice within the classroom
[37]
.
Research has consistently underscored the role of four interconnected dimensions in the development of effective learning regulation: systematically designed reflective practices, the iterative creation of professional portfolios, peer-based collaboration, and the availability of enduring mentoring relationships
[30, 12]
. These findings suggest that teacher education programs must intentionally weave all four dimensions into the curriculum to foster self-regulation skills capable of supporting continuous, independent professional advancement both during the initial training and afterward.
3. Environmental and Contextual Factors
3.1. Social and Cultural Context
The larger social and cultural milieu in which future educators are immersed plays a critical role in shaping their orientations to LL
[36, 18]
. Studies show that involvement in collaborative learning environments, active membership in professional learning communities, and the existence of supportive peer networks collectively foster positive attitudes toward persistent professional development
[36, 30]
. Furthermore, candidates who benefit from strong social support during their teacher preparation are markedly more likely to maintain a lifelong commitment to their professional growth once they transition into the teaching workforce.
Cultural factors exert significant influence on the development of LL orientations among educators. Empirical investigation reveals that educational systems characterised by an explicit commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and professional advancement cultivate teachers who exhibit more pronounced LL dispositions
[18]
. Comparative cross-cultural analysis has further documented how variations in LL orientations correlate with differing cultural emphases on educational values, professional development, and the broader notion of personal growth
[29]
.
The impact of social context, however, transcends the boundaries of the formal learning setting and encompasses wider societal norms and supports that frame teacher professionalism. Evidence indicates that societies which allocate resources to teacher development, sustain systems of professional mentoring and appraisal, and publicly affirm teaching as a legitimate and respected profession concurrently foster the recruitment and retention of educators who maintain robust lifelong learning orientations
[18]
.
3.2. Institutional Support and Resources
Institutional support and the allocation of resources exert a decisive influence on the formation of LL orientations among pre-service teachers
[18, 14]
. Evidence indicates that preparation programmes displaying coherent mentoring frameworks, structured and sustained field placements, and robust collaborations with school districts consistently graduate candidates with heightened readiness for ongoing professional learning
[21, 38]
. Moreover, the availability of professional development literature, access to contemporary educational technology, and structured collaborative learning environments correlates positively with pre-service teachers’ resolve to engage in lifelong learning.
Mentorship quality warrants focused attention, as a wealth of studies identify it as a decisive variable in shaping persistent LL orientations
[18, 31]
. Quantitative and qualitative data converge to show that preservice teachers placed with mentors who overtly exemplify reflective practice, and an ethos of continuous improvement display a significantly higher likelihood of assimilating these characteristics as core professional dispositions
[36]
. Ongoing oversight from teacher educators and field-based supervisors reinforces these nascent dispositions, instilling an abiding respect for professional learning cycles and iterative refinement.
4. Professional Identity Development
4.1. Formation of Teaching Identity
Professional identity formation is a dynamic, multilayered process that meaningfully undergirds future teachers’ orientations to LL
[18, 8, 7]
. Teacher professional identity is conceptualised as the interplay of beliefs, emotions and self-understanding that educators accrue in relation to themselves and their vocational role
[18]
. Empirical inquiry confirms that this identity is never static; rather, it is continually renegotiated through autobiographical narratives, collegial discourse and the specific contexts of practice, thereby generating enduring dispositions toward ongoing professional learning.
The construction of teaching identity commences in pre-service training and evolves during the entirety of a teacher's professional life
[8, 15]
. Evidence reveals that the formative encounters prospective teachers have within their preparatory programmes shape their sense of professional identity and their resolve to engage in LL
[18]
. Investigations also indicate that a robust identity affirmed during pre-service training correlates with elevated teaching self-efficacy, heightened job satisfaction, and an enduring commitment to the profession.
Critical elements that foster a constructive development of professional identity comprise reflective practice, deliberately designed field placements, nurturing mentoring ties, and collaborative engagements with veteran colleagues
[18, 8]
. Such studies indicate that those who cultivate a vigorous and affirmative teaching identity are inclined to regard themselves as ongoing learners and are more prepared to pursue professional growth throughout their careers.
SE among educators, defined as their conviction in their capability to manage the diverse tasks, responsibilities, and obstacles inherent to their vocation, is pivotal for fostering a sustained inclination towards lifelong professional growth
[33, 31, 24]
. Empirical evidence reveals a robust and positive correlation between SE and participation in professional development, the adoption of innovative pedagogical approaches, and an enduring commitment to the teaching career.
4.2. Self-Efficacy and Professional Confidence
SE beliefs are established within pre-service teacher education programs and are subsequently shaped by four primary sources: successful personal achievements, vicarious learning through peer examples, verbal encouragement from mentors and peers, and the cognitive appraisal of emotional and physiological signals
[31]
. Research demonstrates that pre-service teachers who report strong SE are more willing to trial novel pedagogical approaches, to persevere through challenging circumstances, and to actively seek varied learning opportunities that enhance their professional development.
The relationship between SE and a commitment to lifelong learning is clearly reciprocal: stronger SE propels teachers to engage more
[24]
. This self-reinforcing cycle suggests that fostering a solid sense of SE during pre-service training is likely to generate long-lasting benefits for teachers' ongoing career advancement and, consequently, for the academic growth of their students.
Value orientations held by teacher candidates are now widely acknowledged to shape the trajectories of their futures as lifelong learners
[24]
. Evidence consistently indicates that individuals whose deeply held convictions centre on perpetual growth and reflective practice are more inclined to pursue sustained learning opportunities and to exhibit unwavering professional dedication across their careers. While the linkage between values and lifelong learning is robust, it is notably amplified when candidates experience their teaching roles as self-directed and personally meaningful, suggesting that motivation is a key moderating force.
4.3. Values and Professional Commitment
Professional commitment (PC) can thus be conceptualized as a dynamic nexus, simultaneously arising from and reinforcing lifelong learning proclivities
[19]
. Findings reveal that those prospective teachers who forge a resolute commitment to the profession during their preparatory courses are, in turn, more resilient when encountering systemic or pedagogical difficulties, report heightened job satisfaction, and actively contribute to and benefit from collaborative professional learning communities. This reciprocal interplay underscores the necessity of intentional value clarification and professional identity development within teacher education curricula.
Research on the cultivation of PC among teachers indicates that several interrelated factors play a critical role: sustained engagement with diverse student populations, observation of models of effective instructional practice, constructive mentoring networks, and the opportunity to witness the direct effects of one’s teaching on learner outcomes
[18, 14]
. Collectively, these outcomes recommend that teacher education programmes intentionally integrate a series of sequential and diverse contexts wherein candidates can reflectively refine their professional principles and reinforce their commitment to the vocation.
5. Contemporary Research and Evidence
5.1. Empirical Studies on Lifelong Learning Tendencies
Contemporary quantitative scholarship has refined the profile of prospective teachers’ dispositions toward LL, deploying robustly validated assessment instruments across a series of controlled samples
[10, 37, 34, 13]
. Investigations that incorporate the LLTS, operationalised by Diker Coskun, have illuminated a quartet of interrelated dimensions-intrinsic motivation, sustained persistence, integrative curiosity, and learning self-regulation-across multiple cohorts
[10, 37]
. The evidence consistently reveal that prospective teachers’ mean scores across dimensions fall within a moderate to high band, with the motivational construct consistently attaining the uppermost mean among the four what suggests a robust foundation for the further cultivation of a lifelong orientation within teacher education frameworks.
Extensive investigations encompassing several hundred prospective educators have illuminated a range of demographic and programmatic variables that shape the inclination toward LL
[10, 37, 34]
. The accumulated evidence reveals that female teacher candidates consistently attain higher scores on lifelong learning orientation inventories than their male peers, a pattern that persists across multiple attitudinal and motivational dimensions
[37, 13]
. Furthermore, older candidates and individuals possessing previous professional experience exhibit stronger lifelong learning commitments, a difference that is frequently attributed to their heightened awareness of the benefits associated with ongoing professional development.
Employing both cross-sectional and longitudinal methodologies, researchers have discerned the trajectories along which lifelong learning orientations emerge and subsequently evolve
[13, 1]
. Cohort studies that follow teacher candidates throughout their preparatory coursework reveal that intentional pedagogical interventions and enriching learning contexts can substantively bolster LL orientations. Moreover, evidence convincingly indicates that the orientations documented during the pre-service phase serve as reliable precursors to specific professional conduct, including sustained involvement in further training programs and elevated levels of overall career satisfaction.
5.2. International Perspectives and Comparative Research
Comparative works on lifelong learning practices across diverse moral and educational landscapes has identified both cross-cultural regularities and culturally embedded divergences
[29])
. Empirical inquiries spanning Turkey, the United States, Europe, and various Asian settings reveal that the overall arch of LL intention retains structural parallelism, yet specific weighting of its constituent elements is recalibrated according to prevailing cultural ethos and historic educational lineages.
Reports published by UNESCO and allied global bodies underscore the urgency of cultivating lifelong learning competencies among educators, given the escalating pace of technological and social metamorphosis
[35]
. Multinational analyses call for teacher preparation schemes to foreground dispositions favouring lifelong learning, positioning these dispositions as the bedrock of curricular excellence and pedagogical innovation.
Comparative investigations further document how distinct educational systems modulate the cultivation of lifelong learning dispositions among trainee teachers
[29, 18]
. Jurisdictions endowed with mature teacher education frameworks, robust continuing professional development architectures, and sociocultural reverence for persistent learning generate educators who exhibit pronounced lifelong learning inclinations. Such evidence intimates that cohesive, system-wide configurations promoting lifelong learning yield superior efficacy relative to isolated, programme-specific measures.
5.3. Implications for Teacher Preparation
The substantial evidence indicating the enduring proclivity of novice teachers to engage in lifelong learning compels a strategic redesign of teacher preparation curricula to explicitly nurture this orientation. Curriculum architects should deliberately orchestrate the interdependent components of the lifelong learning disposition—knowledge creation, emotional regulation, autonomous inquiry, and communicative agency—within a cohesive framework
[28]
. Enhanced theoretical coursework, clinically integrated residencies, and sequenced reflective seminars ought to be systematically coordinated to stimulate each facet of the disposition
[10, 37, 34]
. Programmes that fuse constructivist instructional strategies, catalytic transformative experiences, substantive opportunities for self-governance, and collaborative learning cultures consistently yield the strongest longitudinal evidence of disposition entrenchment.
Concurrently, teacher preparation must explicitly acknowledge the extrinsic and contextual variables that uphold the lifelong learning disposition
[18, 14]
. Such an approach requires the cultivation of inquiry-driven partnerships, the establishment of comprehensive mentoring ecosystems, the curation of diverse and consequential practicum assignments, and the demonstrable, ongoing investment of faculty in professional growth and curriculum innovation. Empirical findings reveal that candidate cohorts immersed in these contextual scaffolds emerge with heightened resilience, reflective depth, and adaptive expertise, thus mandating the intentional and uninterrupted embedding of these structural enhancements throughout the entirety of the teacher preparation continuum.
Teacher preparation programs must prioritize the construction of professional identity and the enhancement of self-efficacy, as the evidence strongly attests to the independent and interactive influence of these constructs on sustained professional growth
[18, 33, 24]
. Effective programs should embed a coherent trajectory of intentional reflective tasks, enabling candidates to interrogate the development of their professional personas, to engage in progressively sequenced classroom encounters that consolidate pedagogical competence, and to receive calibrated feedback that fortifies their belief in their own capabilities and their commitment to further professional learning
[28]
. This strategy, which deliberately transcends a utilitarian emphasis on technical skills, requires a substantive recalibration of teacher education, yielding graduates who, upon licensure, emerge not simply as competent entry-level practitioners but as proactive, resilient, and adaptable professionals poised to engage with and enact the evolving complexities of contemporary educational contexts.
6. Conclusion
The conceptual framework of lifelong learning orientation in preservice teachers constitutes a convergent domain where learning theory, psychological science, and professional development models interact, each offering a distinct yet synergistic insight into how novice educators develop and maintain a lifelong learning predisposition. Integrating constructivist, transformational, self-directed, and social-cognitive lenses, the framework illuminates the intertwined cognitive, affective, and situational processes that coalesce into enduring learning dispositions. Recent empirical inquiries substantiate that these dispositions are not merely observable but also susceptible to enhancement via thoughtfully engineered pedagogical strategies, a discovery that possesses critical implications for teacher resilience, student performance, and the overarching quality of educational systems. Given the accelerating complexity of 21st-century learning environments, fostering a robust lifelong learning orientation in tomorrow’s teachers acquires tactical urgency, preparing them to assimilate continual change, to lead pedagogical innovation, and to perpetually refine their expertise throughout the duration of their professional journeys.
Abbreviations

LL

Lifelong Learning

SE

Self-efficacy

LLT

Lifelong Learning Tendency

PC

Professional Commitment
Author Contributions
Sumanya Debbarma: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Resources, Writing – original draft
Priyank Kumar Shivam: Formal Analysis, Methodology, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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    Debbarma, S., Shivam, P. K. (2025). Theoretical Background of the Concept "Lifelong Learning Tendency of Prospective Teachers". International Journal of Secondary Education, 13(3), 73-80. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsedu.20251303.13

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    Debbarma, S.; Shivam, P. K. Theoretical Background of the Concept "Lifelong Learning Tendency of Prospective Teachers". Int. J. Second. Educ. 2025, 13(3), 73-80. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsedu.20251303.13

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    Debbarma S, Shivam PK. Theoretical Background of the Concept "Lifelong Learning Tendency of Prospective Teachers". Int J Second Educ. 2025;13(3):73-80. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsedu.20251303.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijsedu.20251303.13,
  author = {Sumanya Debbarma and Priyank Kumar Shivam},
  title = {Theoretical Background of the Concept "Lifelong Learning Tendency of Prospective Teachers"
},
  journal = {International Journal of Secondary Education},
  volume = {13},
  number = {3},
  pages = {73-80},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijsedu.20251303.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsedu.20251303.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijsedu.20251303.13},
  abstract = {This paper presents a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding lifelong learning tendency amongst prospective teachers, a critical area of educational research reflecting the growing recognition that effective teaching requires continuous professional development. Drawing upon multiple learning theories including constructivism, transformational learning, self-directed learning, and social cognitive theory, this review synthesises contemporary research demonstrating how prospective teachers' dispositions towards lifelong learning significantly influence their professional development and teaching effectiveness. The paper examines four core components of lifelong learning tendency: motivation and self-determination, persistence and resilience, curiosity and openness to experience, and learning regulation and self-management. Environmental and contextual factors, including social-cultural contexts and institutional support, are analysed alongside professional identity development processes. Recent international investigations employing the Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale document moderate to elevated continuities of lifelong learning orientation among pre-service teachers, tempered by salient demographic and programme-specific differentiations. The synthesis of these findings underscores the imperative for teacher education curricula to consciously foreground the nurturing of lifelong learning dispositions, integrating directed interventions, complementary learning ecologies, and co-ordinated strategies that entwine the development of professional identity with the enhancement of Self Efficacy beliefs.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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  • TY  - JOUR
T1  - Theoretical Background of the Concept "Lifelong Learning Tendency of Prospective Teachers"

AU  - Sumanya Debbarma
AU  - Priyank Kumar Shivam
Y1  - 2025/09/25
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsedu.20251303.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijsedu.20251303.13
T2  - International Journal of Secondary Education
JF  - International Journal of Secondary Education
JO  - International Journal of Secondary Education
SP  - 73
EP  - 80
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2376-7472
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsedu.20251303.13
AB  - This paper presents a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding lifelong learning tendency amongst prospective teachers, a critical area of educational research reflecting the growing recognition that effective teaching requires continuous professional development. Drawing upon multiple learning theories including constructivism, transformational learning, self-directed learning, and social cognitive theory, this review synthesises contemporary research demonstrating how prospective teachers' dispositions towards lifelong learning significantly influence their professional development and teaching effectiveness. The paper examines four core components of lifelong learning tendency: motivation and self-determination, persistence and resilience, curiosity and openness to experience, and learning regulation and self-management. Environmental and contextual factors, including social-cultural contexts and institutional support, are analysed alongside professional identity development processes. Recent international investigations employing the Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale document moderate to elevated continuities of lifelong learning orientation among pre-service teachers, tempered by salient demographic and programme-specific differentiations. The synthesis of these findings underscores the imperative for teacher education curricula to consciously foreground the nurturing of lifelong learning dispositions, integrating directed interventions, complementary learning ecologies, and co-ordinated strategies that entwine the development of professional identity with the enhancement of Self Efficacy beliefs.

VL  - 13
IS  - 3
ER  -

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  • Abstract
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  • Document Sections

    1. 1. Introduction
    2. 2. Foundational Learning Theories
    3. 3. Environmental and Contextual Factors
    4. 4. Professional Identity Development
    5. 5. Contemporary Research and Evidence
    6. 6. Conclusion
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