What term means "one who enjoys learning"?

Is there a term that means "a person who enjoys learning"? This term might be used to describe someone who:

• Is a self-motivated learner.
• Is curious, wants to understand many things.

I understand the term "philosopher" might be a good fit, in terms of its root words, however, the general population has an inconsistent understanding of this term, so I am looking for a more precise term.

philomath
thefreedictionary - a lover of learning; a scholar.
Collins - a person who enjoys learning new facts and acquiring new knowledge.

Inquisitive

Eager for knowledge; intellectually curious

That would answer the "[someone who] Is curious, wants to understand many things" part of your question.

The specific word you want is not "Philosopher", which, as you note, has specific connections to the realms of metaphysics, ethics, and epistemology, but rather Philomath, which means exactly what you've asked for:

Rather than 'philosopher', there is an Ancient Greek word: 'philosophos' - meaning 'lover of wisdom' (from philein ‘to love’ + sophos ‘wise’).

'Autodidact' is one possibility. Although it literally means 'self-taught', it does carry the connotations you're referring to, of self-motivation, intellectual curiosity beyond the bounds of formal schooling; enthusiasm for knowledge.

'Polymath' is another, although it refers more to depth and breadth of learning rather than the enjoyment thereof.

'Bibliophile' may be a little too specific, referring to the love of the actual artefacts of books, rather than necessarily their contents ...

... and 'bookworm' doesn't quite cut it, in this age where we get our information from so many other sources ...

If you are not averse to the idea of coining new words, how about 'cognophile'? From the Latin roots: cogno, cognoscere - know, cognitio - knowledge, and the Greek: philos ...

This is a great question. I'm on the hunt now... I bet there's a German word for it, or something in Arabic or Hebrew ... 'cognitionis amor' was a Latin phrase meaning 'love of learning'.

(This probably won't help, but I once had a boyfriend who called me a 'knowledge junkie', lol.)

Epistemophiliac, someone who loves to acquire new knowledge : http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epistemophilia