Did Teachers Make Lifelong Learners? Examining the Long-Term Effects of Teachers on their Students’ Attitudes towards Lifelong Learning in the United States

Abstract

The emergence of a competitive global economy has placed an increasing emphasis on lifelong learning. Despite its growing importance, little was known about how teachers played a role in developing students' long-term inquiry habits during adulthood. This study hypothesized that lifelong learning was a “skill”, which can be nurtured and developed during the childhood period. Using the U.S. National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS: 88) data, the objective of this study was to examine the impact of teachers on the attitudes towards lifelong learning of their former students 12 years later (n = 11,168). The findings indicated that lifelong learning habits were positively related to how one perceived the quality of their former teachers. More specifically, adults taught by a good teacher were likely to visit the public library and participated in job training through self-initiative.