Measuring Lifelong Learning among Applied Linguistics’ Doctorate Students: a Case Study of Moulay Ismail’s University

Abstract

Abstract
It is well-acknowledged that the purpose of higher education is to nurture within learners the desire for and the implementation of perpetual education. All vital parties involved in tertiary education – graduates, stakeholders, tutors and accreditation entities – concur that this result is highly essential due to the accelerated evolution of our society, particularly in engineering and technology. Consequently, contemporary universities must provide more than simply traditional and current knowledge and aptitudes to their students; they must be capable of furnishing them with generic skills and capacity to direct their own learning both during and after their studies as they adjust to a vast selection of contexts after the completion of formal education. In this regard, this study seeks to measure the propensity for lifelong learning among Applied Linguistics’ Doctorate Students in Moulay Ismail’s university of Arts and Human Sciences. It also employs a quantitative methodology, utilizing a survey instrument developed by Kirby at al. (2010) to investigate the lifelong learning skills of 38 participants. The results of the survey reveal slightly significant differences between male and female student populations, particularly in the trait of “setting goals,” in which females self-reported a higher ability. These findings imply that it would be advantageous to invest additional resources into creating curricula which emphasize lifelong learning traits, thus enabling students to foster their growth.