Hines 1

Brad Hines Dominic Borowiak ENG 111 October 24, 2013 AMS Assignment One of the biggest problems with adult learning is that some of the adults enrolled in classes are not motivated to learn. These select few have been through education their entire young life so why would they want to continue it with more tests and more lectures that they have to pay for when they could be out making money? The definition of motivation is the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something (Merriam Webster) so this means society has to give these adults a reason to further their education. How does society do this? By granting jobs to those who receive the certain educational requirements needed. But the idea of spending thousands and thousands of dollars on an education just to hope to pay off loans for the rest of their life doesnt sound very appealing to these students. There are many reasons why some adults are not motivated to further their education from the personal level to the economic level. Many students go to college for one main reason and that reason is personal advancement. They want to get a start to achieving their goals and dreams. Some students dont see college as advancing them any farther in life. Stephen Lieb explains Personal advancement is one of the biggest factors in deciding to educate further than high school. Most adult learners weigh the facts as to whether or not their personal education will further their career. But if the student doesnt see the perks of going to college then they may not enroll in college. If they do

Hines 2

enroll in college and they still dont see why they are doing it then they will pay little attention in class, lose their motivation, and ultimately drop out early. Many students find the class work is too much for them. They find that they have other things they prioritize over their studies like a job or even something as small as hanging out with friends. If the student has no motivation to go to class and participate then they wont do it. Figuring out what is going to engage the student in the classroom and help them discover a reason to enroll in college is paramount in keeping classroom attendance high. A large majority of students that lose motivation to go to class give up and pursue something that may be easier. This is seen very much in online classes where students arent engaged in face-to-face interactions. The student isnt sitting in a classroom so they may have other things to do and skip out on their classwork. In a face-to-face classroom setting students are more motivated to do their work. Idea Group Inc. says they are already in the classroom so they might as well participate in the activities. When they are in a purely social setting with activities going on around them the student is more inclined to ask questions and seek answers than the one at home with distractions and other things to do. This is where teachers face the challenge of keeping their students motivated to do their classwork through the internet. The lack of social interaction and intriguing topics force some students to give up on college and pursue a career that needs little to no educational experience. On a sociological level, humans are motivated by multiple things. Whether it be rewards from their actions, social norms, instincts, etc. As humans we cling to other humans and seek out groups that share the same interests that they do. Helene Ahl puts it Students are humans too and they are motivated by the same things. As new adults some students are scared to take the jump and travel to college and begin their adult life. If they have no support system like friends

Hines 3

are they may not be motivated to keep pursuing school. Fresh out of high school an 18 year old enrolls in college, why? Because their friends are doing it and their parents may push them to. In reality this 18 year old is about to embark on a long and hard journey that they may or may not be prepared to embark upon. Lots of them become discouraged by bad grades and hard course work. This young adults motivation drops after this point and without a support system or friends to console with, they leave school soon after. If these students dont see others around them doing some of the same things they may lose their motivation to continue with their classes. Its just the human nature of wanting to fit in with the crowd. As much as human interaction may become a problem, some students have a hard time being interested in the topics being taught. Its hard to relate to subjects like math, English, and science when one doesnt have interest in these subjects. Kathleen OConnell says Many adult learners have lost lots of their intrinsic motivation through being burnt out from previous schooling.... Lots of adult learners simply arent interested in the topics being studied. Especially first year students who take most of the pre-requisite classes first. English, Math, and Science (core classes) which bore them after too long. If a student has no interest in the topic how are they expected to stay motivated throughout the class? Sometimes knowing that they need the class to acquire the degree they are looking for is not enough to keep them intrigued and interested in the topics. If the teachers cant keep the students intrigued by the topics then many students will lose interest in the subject very fast and in turn become unmotivated. Some adult learners just wont learn new ideas and accept new theories. They may have a set idea as to how something should be and they wont look at it in a different way. This becomes a problems when teachers introduce new ideas to the students in the classroom. As Roger Chao said from www.academia.edu Adult learners are considered stubborn learners.

Hines 4

They are set in their ways and have strong taste. They have a strong framework of values and an abundance of pride. This makes it harder to gain focus in something. If they arent focused on the subject then they most likely arent motivated to do the work that comes with the subject. This is a problem for many adult learners seeing as how they cant form new ideas and look outside the box when it comes to new things. Many adults need to know why they are learning something. With a younger age group teachers can teach the students new things and not necessarily show them why they need to know it. Adults form barriers in their head and only let in information that they deem needed. Failure to inform adult learners as to why they are learning something could result in their loss of interest and lack of motivation. The definition of motivation is the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something. With that being said, personal advancement is one of the biggest factors in motivating students. If they do not have the feeling that they are gaining something from their extra time and money spent then they wont be motivated to do the work. On the same note they have to have that feeling of advancement before they even step foot into the classroom. Like Idea Group had said they are already in the classroom so they might as well participate in the activities. Even once they get into the classroom if they dont see others around doing the same work they are, they may lose their interest in the topics and in turn lose their motivation. Even after all of these obstacles to their success are avoided adult learners are still considered to be the most stubborn of learners. They may fail to pick up new ideas or look at new approaches to a subject and in turn may dismiss these new ideas and lose their motivation for the subject. Adult learners prove to be somewhat of a challenge to motivate, but with the right positive reinforcement they are not impossible to motivate.

Hines 5

Works Cited
Ahl, Helene. "http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:33036/FULLTEXT01.pdf." 2006. www.diveportal.org. 28 10 2013. Chao, Roger Jr. "http://www.academia.edu/1267765/Understanding_the_Adult_Learners_Motivation_and_Bar riers_to_Learning." November 2009. www.academia.edu. 29 10 2013. Inc., Idea Group. "https://www.coursesites.com/bbcswebdav/pid-2423547-dt-content-rid7482568_1/courses/bonkopen2012/Week1_TECVARIETY/Motivation%20Paper%20Bonk%20and%20Dennen-b.pdf." 2007. www.coursesites.com. 28 10 2013. Lieb, Stephen. "http://www.mssny.org/mssnycfm/mssnyeditor/File/2013/Practice_Resources/CME/Adults_As _Learners.pdf." 1991. www.mssny.org. 28 10 2013. O'Connell, Kathleen. "http://userpages.umbc.edu/~koconne1/605TheAdultLearner/ivse.htm." 2005. userpages.umbc.edu. 28 10 2013. Webster, Merriam. "http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motivation." 2013. www.merriamwebster.com. 28 October 2013.