Themes

Influences on participation in learning

Experiences of learning

Technology and learning

» Themes/Influences on participation in learning

Age and Stage in Life

A person's age and their stage of life can influence their attitude towards learning, and whether or not they are likely to engage in learning. This is not a blanket description, as some people's views on learning, and therefore the likelihood of them to do some learning, remain similar throughout their lives.

However, for many, their thoughts on learning do relate to their age, or their perception of their age. This may be to do with how they have experienced learning up to that point in life, what they perceive learning to be, and how relevant they feel it is for them. An individual's employment status, and the stage of their life course that they have reached have an impact on how people think about learning and how probable they are to embark on learning.

Leaving school is a milestone in young people's lives which produces a range of responses to learning. Some value learning highly and have an expectation that learning will form an important part of their future, whilst for others, formal learning is an alien and difficult concept which they see as having very little relevance to their day-to-day lives..

Parenthood is a trigger to engage in learning for some people. Whether people want to support their school-age children with homework, or find they have more time on their hands as their kids grow older and more independent, being a parent can encourage people into learning for a variety of reasons. 

Retirement affects different people in different ways; some see it as an opportunity to engage in further learning whilst others see it as irrelevant once they have left the labour market. Some retired people feel free at no longer having to engage in learning for work purposes, but many see learning as essential to life itself.