Exploring Effectiveness of Lifelong Learning Experiences among Senior and Retired Teachers of Schools and Colleges: Evidence from Karachi

Abstract

In many developing countries, senior and retired teachers experience an abrupt end to their professional and learning engagements upon reaching the institutional retirement age, regardless of their expertise, skills, or motivation to continue contributing. In Pakistan, where formal retirement typically occurs at 60 years of age, educators often face exclusion from both employment and formal learning opportunities. This quantitative descriptive study investigates gender-based differences in attitudes toward lifelong learning among senior and retired teachers from schools and colleges in Karachi. Lifelong learning is conceptualized as a continuous process of knowledge acquisition through active mental engagement, social interaction, environmental exposure, observation, and real-world application of skills. Data were collected from 60 participants, comprising 32 males and 28 females aged 58–70 years, representing both public and private institutions. A structured Likert-scale questionnaire was used to assess participants’ perceptions across cognitive, social, and experiential dimensions. Data were analysed using an independent-samples t-test at a 0.05 significance level. The results indicated no significant difference between male and female teachers’ opinions regarding lifelong learning, suggesting that both genders share equally positive attitudes toward continuous learning beyond retirement. Despite this, participants reported challenges such as limited institutional programs, age-based exclusion, socio-cultural biases, and lack of policy support. The study underscores the need to institutionalize post-retirement engagement through initiatives such as mentorship, adjunct teaching, and consultancy roles, while reforming educational policies to recognize lifelong learning as a national priority that values the experience and intellectual capital of senior educators.