This article examines different approaches to motivation and effective motivational strategies to engage students to learn. It discusses major perspectives on motivation and classroom applications. It analyses the teacher's role in creating motivational atmosphere. It suggests various motivational strategies for creating effective learning…

Novice learners comprise the majority of language students in higher education, but very few decide to continue their foreign language education beyond the required credits. Educators must develop a deeper understanding of what motivates this group of students so they can design pedagogical practices that will help students shift from a checklist…

Examines various motivations of adults to learn and to participate in organized educational programs. Identifies factors that encourage or inhibit adult participation in educational programs, and distinguishes between learning motivations related to the self and those related to societal obligations. Contains 24 references. (SV)

A study examined the relative effects of course and program on 39 college students' motivation over a semester-long introductory physics course, a discipline chosen because of its emphasis on higher-order learning. Results include information about student learning motives, changes over time, and student emphasis on different learning goals and…

What anticipated benefits motivate adults to continue a major learning effort? This study empirically tested a conceptual framework that emphasizes chains of linked benefits from learning. A diagram of this framework was given to 100 adults in Toronto. They were asked to imagine that their total motivation for one of their learning projects was 10…

A project identified strategies to increase participation by community members who traditionally have not used adult and community education (ACE) in Australia. Methodology included a focus group, literature research, and interviews with 70 people. Government-supported ACE was seen as having a broad role in supporting lifelong learning. ACE…

A survey of all part-time students over 25 years old enrolled at North Carolina State University looked at the relationship of four kinds of learning motivation (self-improvement, job enhancement, social contact, and job change) to gender, age, educational level, and income. Implications for recruitment and retention are discussed. (MSE)

A distinction is made in the meaning of schooling and learning, and characteristics that define lifelong learning and ideas that are not consistent with the concept of lifelong learning are presented. Characteristics of lifelong learners include being goal-directed, assuming increasing responsibility for being self-directed, possessing the skills…

The adults who participate in classes, workshops, and other learning opportunities are as diverse as the kinds of programs in which they enroll and the reasons for which they enroll. Adult learners are multifaceted, appreciate flexibility in teaching strategies, and want a say in what they will learn. These purposes for adult education are…

A questionnaire asked citizens their views on lifelong learning, including participation in, experiences of, and motivations for learning. Findings indicated 9 in 10 European citizens think lifelong learning is important to some extent; lifelong learning is important for social and economic reasons; the majority think lifelong learning is for…

Education aims to enable students not only to acquire knowledge but also to become capable and enthusiastic lifelong learners. Prior research has found that learning is more likely to be effective where a student plays a proactive role in the learning process. Such a proactive process, including learning on students' own initiative and strategies,…

A survey of educational activities of adults in the United States was a component of the 1991 National Household Education Survey, a telephone survey of 12,568 adults. This survey found that 32 percent of adults, defined as persons aged 17 and over, were enrolled in a part-time educational activity over a 12-month period in 1990-91. Eleven percent…

Adults may seek out learning at different times in their lives, for different reasons, and for vastly different purposes. Some of the reasons are to achieve pre-determined goals; to fill education gaps; to explore options and make choices; to develop personally; to perform a job or role better; or to enhance employment prospects. Learning itself…

Researchers examined the learning motivation of middle-aged, semiskilled, male Danish workers and barriers preventing them from participating in training. Data were collected through a literature review, a survey of 2,400 individuals from 3 unions, interviews with 11 of the respondents, and visits to adult education institutions. Nearly…

Career and technical education (CTE) can benefit students directly by providing earning advantages before and after graduation. It can benefit them indirectly by increasing engagement, retention, and persistence and by directing them to postsecondary education and pursuit of lifelong learning. CTE programs motivate students to get involved in…