Lifelong Learning and the Professional Practice of English Teachers in Lagos State, Nigeria: A Qualitative Enquiry

Abstract

The study made a qualitative enquiry into lifelong learning and the professional practice of English teachers in Lagos State, Nigeria. It adopted the descriptive survey design. The sample comprised60 English teachers from 60 Upper Basic and Senior Secondary schools in Lagos State, selected using stratified random sampling and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected using Teacher Lifelong Learning Interview Schedule and analysed using thematic analysis. The results revealed little or no awareness of lifelong learning as an education agenda and little or no value of lifelong learning as an education agenda. Thus, English teachers’ perception of lifelong learning as an education agenda is generally poor. Also, English teachers’ skills, competencies and attitudes are poor; English teachers’ access to and participation in lifelong learning are challenging; resources for English teachers’ lifelong learning are largely unavailable; and strategy and system development for English teachers’ lifelong learning are inadequate. Overall, therefore, the quality of English teachers’ lifelong learning is low. Ideas to improve the quality of English teachers’ lifelong learning for improved professional practice include creating general awareness and reorientation of stakeholders; driving awareness, reorientation and training for teachers; and providing more human, physical and financial resources. The study concludes that although lifelong learning has been captured as an education agenda in educational documents, as a viable means to improve teachers’ global professional practice, it is still far from entrenched in educational practice in Nigeria. This situation can and should be changed if the recommendations following are fully adopted.