Reconsideration of school-centered education is necessary as the field of education continues to expand and diversity. Research in to specific areas within education now calls for a need for research to be conducted from a comprehensive and overall perspective. Educational research must consider the definition of formal education as well as adult and community education and the issues related to the ideal development of education. In this paper, the author proposes several issues of educational research based on his experiences in adult and community education. First, the author examines cases where a zest for life and learning is fostered in the community through the creation of learning environments by the learners who reside there. The author examines "Kyodo-Gakushu" (conjoint learning) using an example of a special women's class and small voluntary study groups established by a municipal government. Next, the author considers the meaning of educational practices and educational issues based on local group activities throughout Japan. Thirdly, the author takes the example of educational practices in a community where residents and continuing education specialists cooperated over a period of time to expand educational opportunities in the community and become active in local school education. Fourth, the author examines practical research of formal education and adult and community education from the perspective of lifelong education and proposes the issues that need to be considered in educational research. The author concludes that (a) we should expand our view of education to include adults and senior citizens as objects and subjects of education, although we tend to consider education as a process of old teaching young. This point demands the reexamination of the definition of education/learning. (b) We should recognize that a wide variety of learning opportunities are now expanding in the family, the community, and the workplace and we need "education" to respect the self-directed learning found in these areas. (c) Since learning is a lifelong process, research to deepen our understanding of learners is necessary. The author proposes the need to invest more time to understand the interconnectedness of education and learning within individuals. In conclusion, the author outlines educational practices in Soka University that relate to educational research and teacher education.