A participant observation study on the meanings of lifelong learning as leisure: Focusing on illiterate and undereducated elderly women

This study examines the meanings of lifelong learning as leisure among elderly women who had been deprived of formal schooling in their youth, leaving them functionally illiterate and undereducated. In South Korea, lifelong learning has often been framed in functional terms-emphasizing vocational retraining and economic development-yet this study highlights its potential as a form of leisure that enriches quality of life in later years. Adopting a constructivist approach, we conducted approximately one year of participant observation in a middle- and high-school equivalency program for women aged 60 and above in Gyeonggi Province. Data were analyzed using Hatch’s (2023) inductive analysis method to identify patterns of meaning in participants’ experiences. Findings indicate that lifelong learning facilitated emotional healing and the pursuit of long-suppressed aspirations; it enhanced self-efficacy and confidence while fostering social bonds with peers, instructors, and family members. For participants, lifelong learning supplanted passive leisure with active, meaningful engagement that was perceived as supporting cognitive and emotional well-being. Their experiences exhibited hallmarks of serious leisure, including persistence, personal fulfillment, and identity development. This study underscores the value of lifelong learning as serious leisure and highlights practical and theoretical implications for leisure studies and adult education, particularly with respect to marginalized elderly women.