Content Analysis of Theses and Articles Indexed in TR Directory on Lifelong Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine and evaluate postgraduate theses and articles related to lifelong learning in Turkey. Within this scope, 191 theses and 176 articles were examined. A document analysis, consisting of four main stages, was conducted in the present study: (1) document access, (2) document comprehension, (3) data analysis, and (4) data usage. Descriptive statistics, such as frequency tables, were used to analyze the data obtained from the thesis documents. It was found that the majority of the theses on lifelong learning were master's theses, contained quantitative research, were conducted at universities with a department of education, and were mostly carried out at the Institute of Education Sciences. Therefore, it is recommended to give more weight to doctoral theses on the subject, to focus on qualitative and mixed-methods research, and to conduct more research in different disciplines. Additionally, the fact that the sample level mostly consisted of university students, teachers, and documents, and that the sample size was mostly in the "0-300" range, suggests that the research scope should be diversified more and the sample size should be increased. The results of the study indicate that with the increase in the number of research on lifelong learning, this subject will become more prominent on Turkey's agenda.