Beyond the degree in the digital era
Postsecondary students’ practices and perspectives on lifelong learning
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22162957 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tetiana Polishchuk (University of Alberta), Оксана Бабенко (0000-0003-2140-1551, University of Alberta), Oksana Babenko (University of Alberta), Lia M Daniels (0000-0001-9202-2538, University of Alberta) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-25 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2504-284X • E-ISSN: 2504-284X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/feduc.2026.1736192 |
| OpenAlex | W7140319340 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 27 |
Introduction Postsecondary education is being fundamentally transformed by rapid advances in digital technology, including its generative forms. Given the evolving landscape, we aimed to explore how digital technology is shaping postsecondary students' practices and perspectives on lifelong learning in the digital era. Methods The interpretive description approach guided our inquiry. We conducted five online focus groups with 18 university students in various professional programs. To analyze the data, we used template analysis in combination with reflexive thematic analysis. The self-determination theory framework of basic psychological needs guided the thematic synthesis of the focus group data, facilitating the development of a conceptual framework of postsecondary students' emerging lifelong learning practices and perspectives. Results The analysis of the focus group data resulted in 46 discrete codes grouped into 11 themes that were subsequently organized within Agency, Growth, Connection, and Envisioning Future categories. Overall, the results indicate that the reasons and the ways students engage with digital technologies enable them to experience agency, growth, and connection, thereby supporting their autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs in their immediate learning. These experiences, in turn, shape students' lifelong learning practices, in relation to their future professional status and future with technology. Discussion Students have integrated digital technologies into their immediate learning, with the clear expectation that these tools will be central to their lifelong learning in the digital economy. Our findings illustrate how digital technology (re-)shapes the cognitive and social aspects of learning, with implications for curriculum design, digital education research, and lifelong learning frameworks
Conceptual framework · Curriculum · Digital Learning · Focus group · Informal learning · Lifelong learning · Reflexivity · Thematic analysis · Educational Leadership and Innovation · Global Educational Policies and Reforms · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports
Self-Determination Theory
Future research recommendations for transforming higher education with generative AI
What is Education For? On Good Education, Teacher Judgement, and Educational Professionalism
What's the Point of Lifelong Learning if Lifelong Learning Has No Point? On the Democratic Deficit of Policies for Lifelong Learning
Professional Digital Competence
Believe in Artificial Intelligence? A User Study on the ChatGPT’s Fake Information Impact
The double‐edged sword of AI in medical education
The impact of generative AI on health professional education
When I say … trust in AI
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
Not just digital natives
Examining students’ intention to use ChatGPT
Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being
From Fear of Innovation to AI Dependency
The Utility of Template Analysis in Qualitative Psychology Research
The overly economic orientation of lifelong learning in European policies
| Highly cited | No |
|---|