Students' Desire for Lifelong Learning and Factors Affecting It: Application of Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory

This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the desire of agricultural students of Razi University for lifelong learning and the factors affecting it using Bandura's social cognition theory.

This research was done in a descriptive –correlational way. The statistical population of the research was 1,365 students of Razi University's Agriculture and Natural Resources Campus, of which 300 were selected by stratified random sampling with proportional assignment according to the level of education. Standard questionnaires were used in order to collect data. In addition to confirming the validity and reliability of standard questionnaires in past studies, in the present study, the questionnaires were examined and localized for agricultural students in terms of content and appearance. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS and Smart-PLS software and in two descriptive and inferential sections

The current situation of the four dimensions of Bandura's social cognition theory showed that the three dimensions of expectation-value, self efficacy and self-regulation were at a high level in students. But the students were at an average level in terms of self-control. The results of structural equation modeling also showed that the two variables of self-efficacy as the first factor and self-regulation as the second factor had an effect on the desire for lifelong learning.

By institutionalizing lifelong learning and training students based on it, and on the other hand, by strengthening lifelong learning through promoting self-efficacy and self-regulation in students, the issue of lack of skills and unemployment of graduates can be overcome to some extent.