Determinants of Lifelong Learning Competencies Development in the Science Classroom

Abstract

The article investigates the determinants shaping the development of lifelong learning competencies in the science classroom, proposing an instructional architecture that combines conceptual clarity, metacognitive guidance, and productive collaboration. The approach is theoretical and integrative, grounded in findings from science education research and the educational sciences, and organized into three complementary perspectives. The first perspective focuses on reflection, metacognition, and self‑regulation at the moment of choosing the answer, supported by brief guiding questions with simple criteria for self‑evaluation. The second perspective examines transfer as students apply their knowledge in new situations, drawing on the big ideas of science and using modeling across varied contexts. The third perspective describes the formation of scientific identity within the learning community, based on scientific dialogue, clear roles in group work, and two-way continuous feedback. These elements cultivate coherence in scientific argumentation and help build a learning community grounded in shared norms and students’ voice. Conceptual findings are summarized in three tables that link psychological mechanisms to classroom practices and their intended impact, and are aligned with empirical patterns previously documented in comparable instructional settings. Teaching vignettes illustrate adaptable lesson sequences that can be easily applied in practice. The main contribution clarifies the instructional conditions that convert conceptual knowledge into adaptive, transferable learning behaviors. The implications concern lesson design and the organization of the classroom learning community by combining conceptual clarity, metacognitive guidance, and the norms of scientific dialogue.