Relationship between lifelong learning tendencies and lifelong learning competence levels of associate degree students

The aim of this research is to determine realationship between lifelong learning tendencies and lifelong learning key competency levels of associate degree university students, whether it makes meaningful difference according to demografic variables (gender, type of vocational high school and university entry score type of the program). The research was conducted with a screening model. The population of the study consists of associate degree students studying at a university in the Western Black Sea region. The data were obtained from lifelong learning tendencies scale and lifelong learning key competences scale. Descriptive statistics according to the characteristics of problems. For data analysis ; Descriptive statistics according to the characteristics of problems (standard deviation (ss), arithmetic mean (¯X), percentage (%), frequency (f) values), Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests since the sample size is greater than 50, Mann-Whitney U-Test, one of the non-parametric tests were used. Kruskal Wallis H test was used to determine whether the scales differ according to the score type. Spearman-Brown correlation was also used to examine whether there was a significant difference between the scales. As a result of the research, it was found that lifelong learning tendencies of university associate degree students were high, lifelong learning tendencies created a significant difference in terms of gender variable and vocational high school variable of students. A significant difference was found for verbal favor between equal weighted section and verbal section in sub-dimension of deprivation in regulating learning of the lifelong learning tendency scale according to the university entrance score type of the programs in which the students were learning. It was observed that the university entrance exam score type of the programs had no effect on the key competences of students' lifelong learning. It was found that the lifelong learning key competences of associate degree students were sufficient and did not create significant differences except for some sub-dimensions in terms of the gender variable and the variable of the vocational school where the students studied. Key words: Lifelong learning key competencies, lifelong learning tendency, Adult education