The Impact of Community Education Research Community on Residents' Lifelong Learning and Empirical Analysis: Taking Hainan's "Greater Sanya" Economic Circle as an Example

Abstract

Against the backdrop of building a learning society and developing the Hainan Free Trade Port, community education research communities have emerged as a vital platform for promoting lifelong learning among all citizens. Using the Greater Sanya Economic Zone (Sanya, Lingshui, Ledong, and Baoting) as a case study, this paper employs a mixed-methods approach grounded in four core theories—lifelong education, community-based learning, experiential learning, and regional collaboration. The objective is to systematically analyze the impact mechanisms of community education research communities on residents' lifelong learning across five dimensions: learning willingness, learning behavior, learning capacity, learning satisfaction, and social integration. Through an empirical analysis of 1,126 resident questionnaires, 8,260 pilot participant data points, and in-depth interviews with 23 experts, the study reveals that participants in research communities achieved a 31.6% higher comprehensive lifelong learning score compared to non-participants. Key indicators, including learning motivation, sustained participation, knowledge application, and overall satisfaction, demonstrated significant positive correlations. Furthermore, the research establishes a robust analytical framework encompassing impact mechanisms, empirical validation, and optimization pathways. This framework validates the effectiveness of research communities in addressing critical challenges such as uneven learning resource distribution, limited supply options, and low participation rates. Finally, long-term optimization strategies are proposed across six dimensions: organizational structure, resource allocation, curriculum design, faculty development, funding mechanisms, and evaluation systems, providing empirical evidence and practical models for advancing regional lifelong learning systems.