Motivation is important for adult learners

One important aspect of adult learning is motivation. According to adult education experts, there are at least six factors that serve as sources of motivation for adult learning.

At the top of the list is building social relationships. Adults enjoy making new friends, which meets a need to have associations and friendships.

Another motivation for adult learning is to fulfill external expectations. Many adults will comply with instructions from other people who have influence or authority in their lives.

Some adult learners are motivated by social welfare, meaning that they want to improve their abilities in order to serve mankind. Those individuals may have a goal of serving in their communities and need to improve their abilities so that they can participate in community work. Many will say they have a desire to help others.

Adults are often stimulated to learn for personal advancement. They may want to achieve higher status in a job, secure professional advancement, seek a new or higher paying job, or stay abreast of competitors.

Escape or stimulation may be a reason some adults want to learn. Education can often relieve boredom, provide a break in the routine of home or work, and provide a contrast to other exacting details of life.

Last, but not least, is the motivational factor of cognitive interest. Many people want to learn just for the sake of learning. Some enjoy learning and like to seek knowledge to satisfy an inquiring mind.

Learning is often mandated for adults in order to meet competency or licensing requirements, to maintain old skills or learn new ones, to adapt to job changes, or to comply with company directives. Whatever the motivation, one can accurately say that in adult life, learning is expected and necessary to remain active in today’s workforce.

Unlike children and teenagers, adults have many responsibilities that they must balance against the demands of learning. Because of these responsibilities, adults have barriers against participating in learning. Some common barriers are lack of time, money, confidence, or interest. Additional obstacles may include things such as lack of transportation and problems with childcare.

Adults must see the benefit of learning in order to motivate themselves to participate in the learning process. When the reasons to learn outweigh the barriers, adults are willing to enroll in educational programs and seek the desired rewards.

How can learning benefit you? If you did not complete high school, earning a high school-level credential can benefit you in many ways. To find out about tuition-free GED® test preparation classes, contact Southwest Regional Adult Education. Even though our classrooms are closed at this time due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, you can begin your studies with us online and even take a GED® Ready practice test from your home. To register, call 866-581-9935 and leave us your contact information; then, someone from our office will get back to you with all the details on getting started.

GED® is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education. Used under license.