Investigating the Relationship Between Students' Engagement in Self-Directed Learning and Lifelong Learning in Higher Education

Abstract: Lifelong learning and self-directed learning are intricately entwined; the necessity for consistent self-improvement and flexibility is recognized by self-directed learning that embraces lifelong learning as a guiding concept. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between students’ engagement in self-directed learning and lifelong learning in the English department of Moulay Ismail university, Morocco. Throughout this research, there has been an exploratory investigation of the relationship between students’ engagement in self-directed learning and lifelong learning. To attain this objective, a questionnaire was adopted based on standardized scales. The participants involved in this study were 120 undergraduates from the faculty of Arts and Humanities for the academic year 2023. Convenient sampling was used to select the respondents of the study. A self-rating scale of self-directed learning from Swapna Naskar Williamson (2007) and the other one of lifelong learning from John R. Kirby et al. (2010) were adopted to attain the research objectives. The data was quantitatively analyzed through frequency distribution and percentages, Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Regression Analysis using SPSS software. The results connoted a reciprocal and predictive relationship between students’ engagement in self-directed learning and lifelong learning. Considering these findings, some pertinent implications have been provided.