LB010 - LIFELONG LEARNING KEY COMPETENCIES IN NUTRITION AND DIETETICS STUDENTS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN FOUNDATION AND STATE UNIVERSITIES IN ANKARA

LB010

LIFELONG LEARNING KEY COMPETENCIES IN NUTRITION AND DIETETICS STUDENTS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN FOUNDATION AND STATE UNIVERSITIES IN ANKARA

G. Arslan^1,*, M. KIZIL²

¹HOSPITAL, GAZI UNIVERSITY, ²NUTRITION AND DIETETIC, HACETTEPE UNİVERSİTY, ANKARA, Türkiye

Rationale: This study aimed to contribute to the development and strengthening of Nutrition and Dietetics education by evaluating the lifelong learning of 4th grade students receiving Nutrition and Dietetics education.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 241 final-year students from 10 universities. The Key Competencies for Lifelong Learning (KCFLL) Scale and a demographic-academic characteristics questionnaire were administered. Comparisons were made based on university type and accreditation status using Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests. Ethical approval was granted by the Hacettepe University Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee (Decision No: 2024/08-60).

Results: Students from foundation universities scored significantly higher (91.63±19.16) than their state university counterparts (87.52±16.01, p=0.011). Similarly, students from non-accredited programs had higher KCFLL scores (92.32±18.08) than those from accredited ones (86.90±16.83, p=0.002). Significant differences were observed in multilingual competence, learning to learn, entrepreneurship, and cultural awareness (p<0.05). Most participants were female (95.4%) and under 25 years old.

Conclusion: Contrary to common assumptions, students from non-accredited and foundation programs demonstrated stronger key competencies. This suggests that flexibility, student-centered environments, and alternative curricular models may better support lifelong learning. Findings offer insights for educational policy and curriculum reform in health sciences education.

References: 1. European Commission. Key Competences for Lifelong Learning – Framework. 2019.
2. Şimşek H. et al. Lifelong learning perspectives in Turkish higher education. Educ Sci. 2022;12(4):220.
3. Gonzalez AL, et al. Advancing Lifelong Learning and Continuing Professional Education. Dietetics. 2023. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202310.0954.v1
4. Åström E, et al. The Lifelong Learner’s Compass. Adult Education Quarterly. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/07417136241312174

Disclosure of Interest: None declared