Motivation 1

Running head: MOTIVATION IN ADULT LEARNING

Research Paper

Brian Moore

Amberton University

HRT 6550.E1 Adult Learning:Workplace

Dr. Tinius
 Motivation 2

Motivation has always been a topic that draws critics from both sides of the isle.

Some believe it solely comes from within, while others think others have a direct

influence on those around them. Psychology today tells us that Motivation is literally the

desire to do things. It's the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the

pavement and lazing around the house all day. Research shows you can influence your

own levels of motivation and self-control. In this study on motivation in the adult learner,

this definition most adequately fits. There are many factors that motivate adult learners

today and those who can channel that energy will certainly rise to the top. It is not only

about having the desire to do something, but it also maintaining that level to reach the

goals one has developed in continuing their education. From basic literacy to achieving a

doctorate, adult learners find themselves needing motivation in order to expand their

knowledge base. Without it, you can’t go on, but with it, you can.

Motivation is much talked about, studied, and analyzed throughout the business

world. It is different for different people and situations, yet it has a way of making us do

or achieve things that we once thought were out of our reach. We have to learn what it is

that not only starts our engine, but keeps it running throughout life. Most of us have a

pretty good idea of the steps we need to take to improve our lives. The real issue is

overcoming the norm and taking that first step into the sometimes unknown. Boredom

tends to keep us in place, doing the same old things the same old way we’ve always done

them. We have to find that one thing within that can tap our source of motivation.

Whether it is through reading books, listening to speakers, attending church, or surfing

the web, resources are abundant. However, Chris Carter, in his article “Motivation – The

Heart of Self Improvement,” tells us that motivation has to result in action (Carter, 2010).
 Motivation 3

With the ever increased negativity in the world, how is it that we keep motivated? What

is it that gets your motor running?

Pain, debt, tragedy, misfortune, and numerous other realities are commonplace in

the study of motivation. They remind us that we need to find a better job or seek out

counseling to deal with our grieving. During these times, we have to get just the right

amount of motivation we need in order to improve ourselves. This thought is where we

springboard into the study of motivating adults to become lifelong learners. In this

article, we will look at the things that tend to motivate adult learners. Adult learners are

motivated differently than young students, yet still have the same desire to learn. For

many, motivation comes from having accomplished something. In my opinion, this is the

very essence of why we, as adults, return to the hustle and bustle of continuing education.

In Anthony Harris’ “An Overview of the Motivation Theory,” he discusses two

specific aspects that I believe will directly influence the motivation behind our adult

learners today. Motivation is simply defined as the one that kindles change and

concentration. It is motivation that helps people stay optimistic amidst all the challenges

that they encounter in their everyday life (Harris, 2010). It is up to us to channel that

energy into something positive. For adult learners, I believe the most important thing we

have to do is set achievable goals for ourselves. The goal-setting theory outlined by

Harris, implies that people need to set goals for themselves. Setting goals for yourself is

more effective than allowing others to do it for you. We will want to fulfill these goals

because we set them and they are based upon what we believe. Simply put, I respond

much better to me than anyone else.

 Motivation 4

In Jeff Goldberg’s, “Setting goals can increase your chances of success,” he not

only talks about setting goals, but also about achieving them. Goldberg first says that

goals should be attainable, but also a stretch. One must avoid goals that do not excite

them or typically have no meaning. Money is a good example of this. While, we will be

glad to wake up in the morning in hopes of making more money today than we did

yesterday, we do not always have total control of the market. Such disappointments may

lead us away from the reason we began this process in the first place. Goals must be

written down and do not necessarily have to be dedicated to work related thoughts or

endeavors. Goals may be the key to accomplishing a new skill, enjoy the finer aspects of

a new hobby, the attainment of education in whatever field is of interest, or in renovating

a house. Logic says to set an easy goal, but we need to make sure the stretch makes it

worth the chase. Getting out of bed each morning is great goal, but then again so is

taking a nap!

Next, Goldberg insists the goals be crystal clear. The more specific the goal, the

easier it grabs our focus. We need to visualize ourselves after the goals have been

obtained so we can feel the invigoration caused from such achievement. When setting an

effective goal, you cannot afford to be vague. You must research and come up with a set

of specifics that state your goal in measurable terms. A goal like "I want to increase

sales" is incomplete and ambiguous and cannot be considered an effective goal. Adult

learners need to be specific in identifying their goals and avoid being too scared of what

lies ahead. All too often, we get caught up in the “I can never do this,” or “I’m too old.”

These excuses can stall someone from ever achieving the success that lies ahead.
 Motivation 5

An example of a good goal may be as simple as this: I will manage my time

efficiently throughout this semester. Adult students many have more obligations to be

carried out such as family, work, chores, etc. Finding sufficient time to study may be a

challenge, but with a proper time management, you can still manage it. In order to

manage your time properly, you have to plan and fix a schedule for all tasks including

your study. Specific goal setting can do just that. The article, “Tips For Successful

Learning As an Adult Student,” written by Julie Harvard, says that the schedule should be

realistic and allocates enough time for you to do your homework, assignments and

revision on what you have learned at school (Harvard, 2010). Setting a strict study

schedule is an important habit for an effective adult student. Students with a realistic

study schedule are more likely to be successful than those without it. This is just one of

many examples that could be used in goal setting that leads to a motivated adult learner.

Along with goal setting, Harris furthers his study by indicating that needs may

vary depending on people's experiences and these needs may change as time goes by.

This theory is also referred to as the Three-Need Theory or Learned Need Theory.

Generally, the needs of the people are classified into three. These are the achievement,

affiliation and power. I can’t think of a better explanation of why an adult may return to

the education arena than the three mentioned above. As we dive deeper into those things

that motivate us as adult learners, I believe we will be able to relate those finding to these

three mentioned needs. On the whole, understanding all the theories of motivation can be

a great help, especially when it comes to harnessing our leadership skills. Motivation is a

very important ingredient in the success of every individual. Without it, your life will not

be bright.
 Motivation 6

In order to better understand adult learners, we must first look at what drives the

individual to return to a place that was familiar as a kid, but not so much as a grown up.

Stephen Lieb tells us in his article “Principles of Adult Learning,” that there are several

characteristics of adult learners:

• Adults are autonomous and self-directed. They need to be free to direct

themselves.

• Adults have accumulated a foundation of life experiences and knowledge that may

include work-related activities, family responsibilities, and previous education.

They need to connect learning to this knowledge/experience base.

• Adults are goal-oriented. Upon enrolling in a course, they usually know what goal

they want to attain.

• Adults are relevancy-oriented. They must see a reason for learning something.

• Adults are practical, focusing on the aspects of a lesson most useful to them in

their work. They may not be interested in knowledge for its own sake (Lieb,

2010).

These characteristics not only tell us that we are not dealing with the traditional student,

but also with a more driven, dynamic, and goal oriented adult who knows what they want

and what it will take to get them where they want to be. Of course these characteristics

are found in younger students as well, but the vast majority has not experienced life as an

adult and thus do not understand the motivation behind returning to the classroom.

I have identified four reasons, I believe adults will step out on the limb and set the

ultimate goal of becoming an adult learner. They include:

 Motivation 7

• Acquiring the necessary skills to be or remain employed

• Setting a positive example for those around them
• Socialization
• Career advancement

We see adults return so they can acquire the necessary skills to be employed.

Individuals who lose their jobs because the skills that they have are no longer in demand

may find themselves in a position of having to return to college to get the training

necessary to seek employment in a high demand career field. As a former information

technology specialist, I often found myself outdated and had to make a continual effort in

advancing my skill set. Whether it was new hardware or upgraded software, the need to

be a lifelong learner could not have been more apparent. Individuals in this field have to

make a choice or simply go stale in a field that is constantly changing. You either had to

jump on board a moving train or face certain unemployment by choosing not to adjust

their mind set. There are hundreds of jobs that rely heavily upon technology or ever

changing industry standards. A motivated adult would be well served in a career field

such as this.

We also see adults returning to school so they can set a positive example for those

around them. Adults who want to convey to their children just how important a college

education really is may choose to return to school themselves as a way of setting a good

example. This is one of the reasons I chose to return to school on two separate occasions.

I was really good at preaching the importance of a degree, but didn’t have one to show

for it. Children do not respond well to lip service and often need to see results instead. I

was able to achieve the first of my degrees and am now better able to communicate the

importance. Motivating an adult to do something that involves their children, may be one
 Motivation 8

of the easiest factors one can find. Children are great at calling it like it is and do not

always sugarcoat the obvious. This motivation technique could bode well for adults who

can’t quite seem to find the need to return. Just ask their kids and see what they say!

Adults are also motivated to return to school if they are seeking a way to

socialize. Whether talking or studying, these individuals do best when surrounded by

those who have the same interests. Socialism is wanted by everyone and the desire to

interact with those who have the same goals in mind is very apparent in the adult learning

community. Often times, students are given the opportunity to discuss challenges that

exist in both their home life and college life as well. Feeding upon the success stories

that exist in this environment can only help those who may be reaching their breaking

point. Shared experiences can also help these individuals throughout their career as they

plot their career path. The ability to meet and seek opinions from peers within the

learning can community can only enhance the experience for all involved.

Finally, Mary White says that adults are looking for career advancement as reason

to hit the books. Many people leave college before graduating because they need to go to

work and start earning an income. However, they often find that it's difficult to continue

to move up in their careers without a college degree. When faced with the realization that

promotional opportunities may be few and far between unless they earn an academic

credential, many working adults choose to return to college (White, 2010). This was

originally one of the driving forces behind my return to school. This school of thought

has only proven to be truer as I advance in my career. I don’t know if it is a brotherhood

of degrees, but the recognition of degreed adults becomes more apparent as time goes on.
 Motivation 9

While there are certainly more reasons adults choose to return to school, I believe

these listed paint a realistic picture that each adult learner can relate. Brian Pusser gives

us the following insight regarding adult, higher education: For all of their individual and

collective importance to American life, adult learners have typically been treated as an

afterthought in higher education. The irony is that a substantial portion of these students

are at great risk of failing to complete courses and degrees. They typically struggle to

balance work and family commitments (Pusser, 2007). Research suggests that many

adult learners face a daunting set of postsecondary challenges. Many adults need to

secure jobs quickly and cannot afford long-term enrollment. Thus they often choose

training programs that cannot offer the long-term security of an associate’s or bachelor’s

degree. The changing needs of the labor market may mean that adult learners with limited

training need to return again and again for training (Turner, 2010).

Whether we press for better legislation, increased avenues within the workplace,

or financial aid that extends the opportunities of our adults, we must make larger strides

in reducing this gap. This in itself is motivation enough for many to seek a higher

education. Unfortunately, for many individuals, the means do meet the needs and are left

out of reach. We need to see motivation from our leaders as we take on the task of

transforming not only educational institutions, their students and communities, but also

the state and national policies that shape them. As part of ongoing research on subsidies

and labor market conditions in relation to student access, University of Virginia

economist Sarah E. Turner has noted that state investment patterns have significant

implications for adult learners. Turner found that adult student enrollment reflects

changes in local labor markets more than enrollments of traditional-aged postsecondary

 Motivation 10

students do. During economic downturns, adult learners are more likely to return for

further schooling (Turner, 2007). This is our time, and we need motivation from those in

power in order to impose action.

Whether we look at economic downturns, rising costs, and limited resources, we

all know that motivation brings success and even sometimes fortune follows. However

for most of this, motivation may only lead to a degree, a better job, or fulfilled self

esteems. Therefore we should pay attention to the motivations in our life. Leaders often

get caught up in trying to motivate others and it is often times done in vain. I believe

motivation solely comes from within and in adult learners, this is all too obvious. If we

can’t find that one thing that brings us to success, we will continue to be frustrated and

continually staring failure in the face. When one studies the adult learner, they can only

come away with a renewed sense of what motivation is all about. It is about finding that

one thing that brings us to the brink of doing something special.

 Motivation 11

References

Flora, C. (2006, November/December). Psychology Today, 36, 96-100.

Carter, Carter. (2009, May 3). Motivation – The Heart of Self Improvement. Retrieved

from http://www.articlecity.com/articles

Harris, Anthony. (2010, January 2). An Overview of the Motivation Theory. Retrieved

from http://www.ideamarketers.com/?An_Overview_of_Motivation_Theory

Goldberg, Jeff. (2010, April 25). Setting goals can increase your chances of success.

Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010

Harvard, Julie. (2008, October 11). Tips for Successful Learning As an Adult Student.

Retrieved from http://www.articlecity.com/articles/education/article_2102.shtml

Lieb, Stephen. (2010). Principles of Adult Learning. Retrieved from

http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/

White, Mary. (2010, May 4). Motivation for Returning to College. Retrieved from

http://www.brighthub.com/education/college/articles/70444.aspx

Pusser, Brian. (2007, December). Understanding Adult Learners. pp. 25-27

Levin, John. (2005, May). A New View of Adult Learners. 105, (15) 12.

Turner, Sarah E. (2007, July). State and national policies shaping adult learner success.

10, (25) 30-32.