PERCEPTIONS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER CANDIDATES ABOUT LIFELONG LEARNING

The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions of primary school teacher candidates about lifelong learning. The study group of this study has included 32 senior students studying at Hacettepe University, Department of Elementary Education. A phenomenological research design is used as a qualitative research technique in this study. Data were gathered through a semi-structured interview and analyzed via descriptive analysis. According to the findings of the research, there exists a similarity between the thoughts of teacher candidates about lifelong learning and the base lines of the definitions of the term in literature. Some participants have associated the term lifelong learning with the time of learning and some identified it with self-improvement and adjustment. With respect to the thoughts of teacher candidates, the basic skills taking place in elementary school curricula are formative. However, some problems are experienced while teaching these skills to students.