Abstract

OCHOA GUTIERREZ, Roberto  and  BALDERAS GUTIERREZ, Karime Elizabeth. Continuing education, lifelong education and lifelong learning: conceptual coincidences and divergencies. Revista Andina de Educación [online]. 2021, vol.4, n.2, pp.67-73. ISSN 2631-2816.  https://doi.org/10.32719/26312816.2021.4.2.8.

Continuing education (CE), lifelong education (LLE), and lifelong learning (LLL) are concepts that are often used in an undifferentiated way to refer to learning experiences that happen in a continued way. These concepts share characteristics and attributes that bring them together conceptually. However, each is determined by a series of historical and symbolic conditions that make them unique. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze each term to recognize their philosophical, semantic, technical, and operational coincidences and differences. This article presents qualitative research following a documentary approach. Twenty-one indexed articles from Redalyc, Scielo, and ERIC repositories were processed. In these articles, the concepts of CE, LLE, and LLL are defined or explained in depth. The information was encoded with the MAXQDA Software, which facilitated the processing of the texts. A double-entry table was generated for the organization of the results and their subsequent discussion. The categories of analysis were the historical origin of the concept, conceptual construction, integration, potential, obligation, learning content, development of autonomy, temporality, spatiality, the role of the learner, and objectives of each learning scheme. It was found that there are a series of similarities, such as the idea of continuity and professional development. The most relevant differences were the synchronicity and diachrony of the learning moments, their intentionality, and the actors involved.

Keywords : Lifelong learning; Continuous learning; Conceptualization; Continuing education; Lifelong education.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )