Lifelong Learning and Educational Adaptability in Kenyan Universities: A Grounded Theory Study

Abstract

This study developed a substantive grounded theory explaining how three public universities in Kenya understood, enacted, and sustained lifelong learning and educational adaptability. The study used a constructivist grounded theory design, drawing on 28 in-depth semi-structured interviews with university administrators and academic staff, five focus group discussions with postgraduate students, and analysis of institutional policies, strategic plans, and curriculum documents. Participants were selected initially through purposive sampling and subsequently through theoretical sampling as categories emerged. Analysis involved initial, focused, axial, and theoretical coding, together with constant comparison. The analysis generated the core category of Adaptive Learning Ecosystems, supported by six interrelated categories: institutional responsibility for lifelong learning; pedagogical innovation and curriculum adaptability; digital transformation; academic agency and professional learning; leadership, policy, and institutional culture; and learner engagement and adaptive identities. The findings suggest that adaptability is not a discrete intervention but a continuous and relational process requiring alignment across institutional conditions, professional practice, technology, and learner agency. Participants also highlighted tensions arising from traditional learning models, uneven digital infrastructure, policy requirements, and the costs of developing or recruiting new capabilities. The study contributes a contextually grounded explanation of how Kenyan universities can sustain lifelong learning while responding to technological, policy, and socio-economic change.