Themes

Influences on participation in learning

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Technology and learning

» Themes/Influences on participation on learning

Motivations: why do people want to learn?

There is a wide range of motivations behind why people want to engage in learning as an adult. Through our research, people have told us about the things that make them want to learn.

Employment is a major reason that people want to do further learning. This is because learning is seen as a route into work for the unemployed or, for those in low-skilled work, as a way of getting into higher level work.

Interest in a subject or topic is another important motivation for people wanting to learn. Some people engage in learning which is related to a hobby they already have and learn for fun, whilst others may go on a course which is to do with an interest they have, e.g. computers, which will benefit them for employment reasons.

Socialising is a very important aspect of learning to some people, most especially those who don't get the chance to have daily contact with other because of unemployment, retirement or health problems.

Children can spur people on to learn. Parents may want to help more with their children's homework, or have a better understanding of what their kids are learning at school. Many want to set a healthy example so their children can see learning as a natural part of their day-to-day life.

Personal Development is another motivation to learn. People want to enhance their skills for their everyday life, and to keep up to date with developments in areas such as technology.

Volunteering can be a big commitment on people's time and energy, and learning can enhance volunteers' skills for the work that they do.

This list is not exhaustive, and these motivations do not necessarily operate on their own. Sometimes people have a primary motivation to engage in learning, but other factors have an impact on their decision to learn.

As well as this, people's motivations sometimes change as they progress through their learning. As people begin to appreciate outcomes from learning which they hadn't originally envisaged, these outcomes become new things which motivate them. This is especially the case for those whose main motivations for doing some learning are not employment-related.