Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice (CRPP)

Lifelong Learning, Cognition and Wellbeing

Advancing the development of lifelong learning, cognition and well-being

Our research programme brings together perspectives from educational psychology, learning sciences and analytics, and sociology to advance knowledge and innovation at the nexus of lifelong learning, cognition, and well-being.

In our increasingly VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world, education must prepare students for multiple changes in social and work conditions throughout their lifetimes. Lifelong learning refers to learning that takes place throughout the lifespan; it is self-directed, continuous, and intentional (Smith & Purling, 1999). It is undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, literacies and competencies for productive engagement in personal, social, civic and professional spheres. By focusing the lens on the natural propensity of human beings to continue to learn, we foreground the nature of learning and cognition as connected and continuous processes, which are personally significant and socially transformative.

A lifelong learner is motivated and self-regulated. By taking ownership of learning, students experience a sense of autonomy and the joy of mastery that is inherent to lifelong learning. However, these experiences are far from static ‘inner’ states of learning and being that can be easily measured and quantified. These experiences are highly sensitive to complex processes and contexts of identity formation and sense-making in relation to significant others in families, schools, communities and broader society. Examining sociocultural, historical, economic and political conditions and influences is paramount. To this end, our research programme advocates for the expansion of what counts as learning to transcend the instrumental goals of improved academic attainments, and towards the development of lifelong learning, cognition and well-being spanning the individual student to that of society.

Programme Purpose

We aim to examine and foster the development of lifelong learning, cognition and well-being outcomes spanning the individual learners to that of society. We also seek to develop and examine innovative pedagogies, curricula, tools and modalities that can better prepare learners for aspects of life that matter and mould them as effective lifelong learners.

In examining lifelong learning, we underscore the importance of (a) nurturing learners to embrace a lifelong learning mindset (b) helping learners to develop competencies, including 21st century competencies (21CC), that enable them to access and optimise learning opportunities. We are also concerned with understanding contexts and processes and developing methods, tools or environments that can support learners to engage in lifelong learning. We are committed to internationally-relevant and locally-embedded research-practice partnerships with schools, policymakers and industries that inform the design and enactment of innovative pedagogies, curricula and assessments that can better nurture future-ready and lifelong learners.

Research Questions We Seek to Solve

How can we motivate students in schools to maximise their learning?

How can we promote intrinsic motivation for lifelong learning?

How can we create a school environment that is conducive to optimising the well-being of teachers and students?

How can we enhance the resilience, character development, and well-being of students throughout formative schooling?

What factors influence how students adapt positively to change and overcome failure?

What knowledge, skills, attitudes and values (KSAVs) are essential for students to be effective lifelong learners?

How do we design and enact innovative pedagogies, curricula and tools that effectively foster lifelong learning competencies and well-being outcomes in diverse learners, across multiple learning contexts and over time?

What processes promote lifelong learning and optimise well-being? What are the institutional, sociocultural, and transitional conditions that support and/or impede these processes?

What Drives Our Research

Understanding and developing learning transfer mechanisms across multiple contexts
Developing tasks, tools and assessments (including learning analytics) that promote lifelong learning skills in and outside the classroom
Building character via formal and informal learning opportunities
Exploring and fostering metacognition in Singapore schools
Investigating the interplay between assessment and the science of learning
Psychobiological perspectives to subject content and 21CC learning
Mindsets, activities and contexts that foster resilience and well-being (including positivity)
Cross-sectional and longitudinal exploration of factors that influence students’ motivation in key subject domains and developing a motivating school environment

Figure 1 provides a visual illustration of the overarching and overlapping research foci that drive most of LLCW research. We also recognise that there are other topics and integrative aspects not illustrated in the figure.

Key Research Projects

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Principal Investigator: Dr Melvin Chan, OER 06/21 MCY, 2021-2023

Examining Educational Transitions and Pathways in Singapore: From Secondary to Post-secondary

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Principal Investigator: Dr Khor Ean Teng Karen, WDARF, 2021-2023

Understanding and Promoting Networked Learning in the Workplace: A Learning Analytics Approach

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Principal Investigator: Dr Munirah Shaik Kadir, PG 10/21 MSK, 2021-2022

Examining Well-being, Interest, School Engagement, and Life Stressors of At-risk Children: A Profile Analysis

Principal Investigator: Dr Imelda Caleon, OER 15/19 ISC, 2019-2023