Adult Learner Motivation
What are some of the motivating factors for adults to return to school?
We have adult students that are usually here because of a change in career. Some are here just for the information and do not plan on working in this industry and want to do this as a hobby. When I went to school, I already had a good "backyard" knowledge. The schooling not only reinforced most of what I already knew but it also helped me understand the why. Unfortunatley we also have some guys that are here for a free ride and that is a real frustrating part of the job. Some are here just for the acomplishment of finishing school. Everybody here is here for there own personal reasons.
Scott,
Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking we know why our students are here without really asking. It appears you are asking.
Jeffrey Schillinger
It is important to put real life situations in the lesson plans. It also is important to let them bring their life stories into the classroom.
Kathi,
Good points. Adult learners do better when they see the application possibilities. Many of them have experience that can help their peers.
Jeffrey Schillinger
What I have learned in my years of teaching, many adult learners are influenced by internal factors such as their family and the need for a career change.
Quang,
How do you put that knowledge to use in your classroom to help these students succeed?
Jeffrey Schillinger
This question sparked interest because the course indicated that adult learners are typically between 17 and 24 years old. With that being said, I don't really see them being focused at that age about returning to school for career advancement. I see older adult learners returning to school with a career in mind. Do you agree?
Susan,
I have taught 6th grade through college, including adult learners. I tend to think of adult learners as a bit older than 17. Those in their 20s, especially those who have had to grow up quickly due to life circumstances, tend to be more serious than typical 17-19 year olds. There will certainly be exceptions.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Motivating factors for adults to come back to school might be because they are looking for a change in career, there has been a shift in their home life that has prompted them to advance their education, or they are forever life-long learners. These individuals have been upfront in saying they have no intentions of moving forward in this industry and they will be receiving additional education when this course is complete. Others are there simply to make friends. They are new to the community, want to stimulate their mind and make some friends. Some students may have just finished highschool, are now "adults" and have been told you will advanced your education-they are satisfying the expectations of someone else.
Maggie,
There are as many motivations as their are students. The trick is to find ways to keep the motivation students have when they start all the way to their graduation. What are the best things your insitution does to reach this goal?
Jeffrey Schillinger
Adult learners are motivated to learn for different purposes such as to develop social skills, to stimulate thoughts, to learn for the sake of learning and to satisfay the expectations of an authority figure.
Medhin,
I do not see a lot of "satisfy the expectations of an authority figure" in the research. Please provide some context here.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Many of our students come back to school to fulfill a life time desire to become a nurse. They are working on self actualization. They are goal directed and intense. Many of our students are older, and are coming into this program as a second career. They have given up a lot to come into this program and expect a lot from the faculty. Additionally, in this economy our students know that when they complete their education they will be able to get a good paying job.
They want to learn and are challenged by their studies. I can help motivate the student by helping them to learn more effectively, by setting high expectations and then by helping them achieve their goal.
I returned to school at age 47 to persue a new career.
Cathy,
What did you look for as a 47 year old student that may not have been as important had you started college when you were 19 or so?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I have seen adult learners that are between 40-55 returning to school for a new career due to the downturn of the economy and having to reinvent themselves quickly. The 2 year or fast track nursing degrees have attracted many of these individuals to get in, get done and get a job in a field that typically always has vacancies. The motivating factors range from a fast career choice to steady employment with a good income and some even want to be nurses! There are so many reasons for people to return to school and some people have multiple reasons.
If we refer to past life experiences as a source for discussion, shouldn't we also encourage including current events that have influence(s) on student learning? These cannot always be planned, necessarily, but could have bearing at opportune times during in-class discussions. How can this best be encouraged or measured for assessment purposes?
Would this not also depend on the subject being taught? For example, the art and science of nursing would lend itself nicely to spontaneous discussions of recent student/patient interactions during which the student applies information learned in the course and/or utilized to provide care. Spontaeous inclusion of discussions could demonstrate the critical thinking links or decison making ability of the student used within the plan of care by explaining its significance during the discussion.
I sometimes worry that accelerated nursing programs do not allow enough time for students to fully appreciate the values of the nursing profession, allowing them to sink in, and become assimilated into the student's work ethic prior to graduation. I also wonder if this might be another reason for the old addage that "nurses eat their young." I have heard "graying" nurses complain that the youngsters do not "care" for the patient, but rather approach it as a factory job. The art of the nursing profession appears to be lost without these necessary discussions about values which are important to the profession, especially for those just entering the job market.
Change of career
Career advancement
Personal satisfaction.
Learning is ongoing. I teach in a private college with adult students varying in age and goals.
