Elbert Davis EDF 626 Final Paper 4/30/10

Motivation in Adult Learners

Introduction
Adult learners are returning to college in todays world. There are numerous reasons these students have decided to attend college. The goal of this research study is understand the reasons adult learners decide to take courses after a few years of not being a college student. This research is significant because it seeks to help college administrators and college professors ways to reach these students and encourage other adult students to re-enroll in higher education courses.

Literature Review

The factors that motivate adult learners to return to college can be divided into intrinsic and extrinsic categories. One of the external factors would be finances. Chao and Good state many nontraditional students return to school because of the financial implications of the decision

(2004). Some change because of new career goals. They see someone without a college degree and decades of experience being stuck in a job with no room for advancement (Chao & Good, 2004). But in a recent survey of older students at [Portland Community C]ollege, Ms. Abushakrah, [a professor] says, more than three-quarters said they came back to school to find a job or a new skill to keep a current job. (Sander, 2008, 3) Bye, Pushkar, and Conway raise an interesting point. Strong intrinsic motivation may be necessary for nontraditional students to persist and succeed in the university environment over the long term. (2007, 143) Vallerand and Bissonnette (1992, as quoted by Chao & Good, 2004) assessed intrinsic and extrinsic motivational styles as predictors of behavioral persistence in college students. They found that students who persisted in their studies had higher initial levels of intrinsic motivation toward academic activities in general than did students who dropped out, whereas extrinsic motivation did not predict persistence. (144) Lasell College in Newton, Mass has a retirement facility on the campus. Residents of the retirement home are required to take college courses, until a doctor declares a resident is unable. This is done to help the residents stave off dementia (Tyre, 2002) Some seniors have difficulty gaining admission into some graduate programs. Dr. Harold Cox of Indiana State University imagines the admissions committee considering, 'Well, we give five years' education and she's 57, how many years will she be teaching, anyway?' (Boss, 1991, 1) Older students tend to exhibit attitudes toward the career-decision making process that demonstrate a lack of anxiety and fear, whereas younger students are more likely to exhibit

attitudes indicative of insecurity and general concern about making career decisions. (Luzzo, 1999, 135)

Setting

The interviews were conducted over a period of three weeks in the winter/spring of 2010. All five of the interviews were conducted via telephone. The phone numbers were voluntarily given to me by a third party. The third party is an instructor in this classroom. The instructor asked students for their participation in the study. The interviews took about 30 minutes to complete, on average. The people interviewed consisted of three females and two males. All five people have been out of high school for a minimum of 11 years. All five attend the same university in a small town. The university offers over 70 degrees. Before beginning the formal interviews, I attempted to establish a rapport with each of the interviewees, as I did not know any of them personally.

Research Design

The interview is divided into motivational factors and how the particular motivational factors influenced the decision to return to college, along with satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the college experience.

The study was conducted using open-ended interview questions. The same basic questions were asked of each subject. Appropriate follow-up questions were asked of each participant, depending on the answers given. The following 18 questions were asked of each participant.

1) Tell me the story of why you went back to college. 2) What was it like the first time you saw a syllabus? 3) What was it like the first time you registered for classes? 4) What was it like the first day of class? 5) How was individual motivation a factor in you returning to college? By individual motivation, we mean you wanted to learn for the sake of learning. Learning a new hobby and boredom are also considered personal growth for this survey. 6) How was career choice a factor in you returning to college? Career choice, for this survey, can mean wanting a new job, laid off from a job, not happy with a job, needing college to get a promotion, or anything related to a new job. 7) How was family change a factor in you returning to college? Family change, for this survey, can be wanting to provide more for yourself or family, your children moving away from home, your young children beginning school, a divorce, or anything relating to family. 8) What is the one major thing that caused you to return to school? Why? 9) Tell me about the other factors I did not mention that inspired you to return to college. 10) What is the one thing about college that you enjoy now? 11) What has been the most challenging part of attending college? 12) How do you plan to use your degree (if going for a degree) after you graduate?

13) Are you attending face-to-face meetings, online courses only, or both? 14) Which way do you prefer to attend courses: face-to-face meetings only, online courses only, or both? 15) Are you male or female? 16) How many years has it been since you graduated high school 4 or less, between 5-10 years, or 11 or more years? 17) Are you a full-time or part-time student? 18) While attending classes, did you work full-time, part-time, or did not work?

Results/Discussion

Bye, Pushkar, and Conways claim of intrinsic motivation did not hold true for three of the five subjects with these interviews. Each was motivated by career advance or the thought of earning more money than the present, which are both extrinsic motivators. One of the major themes found in the interviews was that career advancement was one of the major factors in adults returning to school after an extended absence. Two subjects mentioned the qualifications of his/her current position now required a college degree, which neither subject possessed. One respondent stated Im also motivated from the sheer fact that in this day and age, you pretty much have to have a college education to find a well-paying job Career advancement tied in with family with most of the respondents. Most of those who wanted to advance in his/her career was to better provide for his/her respective family. Only one

respondent was not trying to provide for a family, because he/she replied he/she did not have a family. One lady said simply, I wasnt making enough to support myself and my son. A second, unexpected theme was peer pressure. Three of the five respondents mentioned either friends or coworkers obtaining bachelors degrees and this fact motivated the respondent to pursue a bachelors degree as well. One gentleman worked under an assistant manager at a grocery store who also attending college. The respondent thought of the assistant manager, if he could do it, I can do it. A second respondent stated, All my friends went through college and I felt like I missed out, so I just thought I would take that plunge. Only two respondents learned for the sake of knowledge. One respondent stated that dying is just giving up on knowledge. Youve always got to evolve, youve always got to learn, and keep yourself young by doing that. Your brains a muscle, youve gotta exercise it. Another respondent had difficulty in actually getting to class. I live about 40 minutes away from the school I attend. There are time when it is very difficult due to weather to get over there. Some of the respondents had both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors. When asked if individual motivation was a factor, one gentleman replied, mainly just to better the situation for my family and kind of wanted to go back to prove to myself that, yeah, I could go ahead and complete it. One of the major factors for returning to college for three of the individuals was the ability to schedule courses around their other schedules. This was more prevalent in those who preferred online courses. One respondent said, If I want to do my class work at 10 oclock at night, when Im done with my job, I can do that. A second respondent stated I dont have to worry about working [online courses] around my shifts with work. I can do it whenever I want. The third

respondent stated, you only hear lectures once face-to-face. I can review the material as needed online so its easier to absorb, and Im more comfortable learning at home. Those who preferred face-to-face class meetings enjoyed the interaction with the professors and other classmates. One respondent said I would think something was lost in just communicating back and forth over computers. You dontnecessarily get the inflection from them when they respond that you would get if youre sitting in a classroom. A second respondent stated, even if you have a class chat, its like Im leaving an instant message here, its not like Im actually talking to people. Some of the respondents felt out of place in the classroom. One respondent said a fellow freshman thought I was a professorand called me sir. The most frustrating part of returning to school for two of the respondents was registering for classes. Since no one explained the process to them, they were uncertain of what was required and expected. After successfully registering, the syllabus and first day of classes invigorated the respondents. It seemed that was the point where the realization that they were college students affected them individually. The first day of class for the respondents seemed like a milestone rather than a situation that would cause fear. The respondents felt excited and had a sense of accomplishment, confirmation that I was finally doing it. Three of the respondents enjoyed the fact they were learning new things. One respondent said, [I thought] I would feel inadequate as far as the classroom and the testing, so just to get back in there and see that I can do thisI love that.

Implications for Others/Limitations

The implications of this study are for higher education administrators, higher education professors and other returning adult learners. For the college administrator, this study suggests marketing toward these students using thoughts of career advancement and increased income. For college professors, they may want to alleviate some of the anxiety of students during the first day of class. For the returning adult learner, this study suggests that students go through some of the same fears and motivations that other students experience. One of the limitations of this study is the relatively small sample size of five adults. This study should not be generalized for any population as a whole. A second limitation of this study is the subjects were chosen from the same university. Obtaining a larger sample size and interviewing subjects from more than one university would be beneficial. Interviewing students that have been out of high school less than 11 years may give different data than the students who have been out of high school more than 11 years. Further research is needed to find out why certain careers are changing minimum qualifications for certain positions. Further in-depth research is needed into different career fields to determine what careers are changing requirements. Overall, this study gives a very small glimpse of college for the returning adult student.

References

Boss, S. (1999, November 23). How do you fare if you're not 19?. Christian Science Monitor, p. 20. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Bundy, A., & Smith, T. (2004). Introduction to the Special Section -- Breaking With Tradition: Effective Counseling Services for Nontraditional Students. Journal of College Counseling, 7(1), 3-4. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Bye, D., Pushkar, D., & Conway, M. (2007). MOTIVATION, INTEREST, AND POSITIVE AFFECT IN TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. Adult Education Quarterly, 57(2), 141-158. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Chao, R., & Good, G. (2004). Nontraditional Students' Perspectives on College Education: A Qualitative Study. Journal of College Counseling, 7(1), 5-12. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database

Luzzo, D. (1999). Identifying the Career Decision-Making Needs of Nontraditional College Students. Journal of Counseling & Development, 77(2), 135-140. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.