Evolving Societal Needs Driving Lifelong Learning Initiatives in Tanzania: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This systematic literature review examines societal needs which drive lifelong learning (LL) initiatives in Tanzania. It collects information from reliable sources like academic articles, government reports, and policy papers; using databases such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, Scopus, ERIC, Wiley Online Library, MDPI, official government and organisational repositories and websites. Searching terms combined keywords and Boolean operators such as "LL" and "Tanzania" and ("societal needs" or "LL initiatives") and ("LL” or "social change"). The inclusion criteria included published literature between May 2015 and May 2025; focus on LL relevant to the Tanzanian context; and discussions of evolving societal needs and LL initiatives. The exclusion criteria include literature not based on Tanzanian context; publications without a clear connection to evolving societal needs and LL initiatives; and publications that are in Non-English language. The revealed societal needs driving LL are workforce development, promoting adult literacy and poverty reduction, promoting digital literacy and inclusion, supporting marginalised groups and gender equality, and government commitment and policy support. The review recommends for continuous initiatives of LL in Tanzania with consideration of evolving societal needs through strategic investments, policy reforms and stakeholder collaboration.