Learning throughout life

Studying and learning in the adult age has been discussed since the 1960s from the viewpoint of lifelong learning. A couple of years ago, Finland launched a programme to develop continuous learning, which seeks to promote the same thing. This programme, however, is targeted at the working age population and professional competence development, whereas lifelong learning covers the entire lifespan.

“Continuous learning is a challenging term in this context. It limits adult learners’ studying and competence development to job-related training only, and the age group is limited to the working age population. In other words, it is very different from the concept of lifelong learning, which includes everyone from toddles to pensioners. Lifelong learning also encompasses all learning and education, including hobby related education,” Professor of Adult Education Jyri Manninen from the University of Eastern Finland says.

Participation in education as an adult yields direct and indirect benefits for the individual’s physical and mental well-being. Studies have shown that competence development also increases productivity and creativity, and achieving one’s personal goals strengthens the feeling of having a meaningful role in society. 

Good education also makes us lead a healthier life and increases our life expectancy by up to several years.  The link between health and participation in adult education can be studied statistically, clinically or by using as measure an individual’s subjectively experienced state of health. According to research, this subjective assessment of our physical and mental well-being correlates well with objective observations, such as those made by physicians. People leading an active lifestyle assess their state of health to be better than adults in general.

“Subjectively experienced state of health is an important and quite reliable indicator of health. Often, it is also the only indicator that can be used in studies addressing adult education, since no extensive statistics on participation in adult education exist,” Manninen points out.

Staying active and engaging in cultural activities, or for example singing in a choir, are sources of many kind of pleasure. However, only participation in education can lead to better skills or changes in thinking or ideas, just to mention a few examples. Physical health effects are a little more challenging to verify, but the evidence is relatively clear especially for older adults.

“As people get older, they undergo changes in their life that challenge well-being. Those still in working life may find it harder to maintain and update their competence, which may have an impact on well-being,” Manninen says.

“Retirement often means fewer social contacts to the people in the workplace and less frequent experiences of being able to use one’s competence. Later in life, the possible death of one’s spouse also makes the situation increasingly difficult. In this situation, hobby related education, such as courses offered by community colleges, offer opportunities for social interaction, which is an important component in a person’s overall well-being. In addition, courses involving physical exercise also have a direct effect on physical well-being.”

For the working age population, training is usually job-related. According to a study conducted in the UK (Well-being benefits of job-related training, 2017), professional competence development is strongly associated with an increase in both cultural and social capital, as well as with economic advantages gained through professional development. The study showed increased job satisfaction among those receiving job-related training.

In other words, job-related training increases well-being; however, job-related training also attracts people whose well-being is on a good level to begin with.

“This association works in both directions, but is statistically tricky to study. After all, we are dealing with the classic ‘the chicken or the egg’ problem. For instance, many employers invest in employees working in white-collar and expert roles, whose state of health is better than average to begin with,” Manninen says.

In addition, Manninen’s research has found that hobby related, non-vocational education also yields similar benefits.

“All competence development increases well-being, be it directly job-related or for example voluntary work or a hobby. When people feel that they are good and competent at something, it increases their self-confidence and agency. This, in turn, is reflected on well-being and lifestyle choices.”