Motivations to participate in ABE

Beder and Valentine (1990) explored the reasons of low-literate adults for participating in ABE. They used a random sample of 323 learners enrolled in ABE programs in the State of Iowa. Through factor analysis, they discovered ten factors provided a conceptually meaningful framework for the diversity of motivations leading to participation in ABE. These ten factors were:

1. Self-Improvement. The items in this category were abstract and global, rather than concrete and specific. The motivation was of an intrinsic or psychological nature perhaps best expressed by the phrase “What I hope to be”, e.g. “I want to be more important.”
2. Family Responsibilities. The items in this category related to practical aspects of family life: to be a better parent, to help children with their homework, to be a better spouse.
3. Diversion. This appeared to be the classic activity-oriented category (Houle, 1961; Boshier and Collins, 1985) which suggests that social contact and escapism play a part in participation in ABE.
4. Literacy Development. Items in this category dealt with written and oral communication skills. It is interesting to note that one item I need to be better at math" did not fall into this category, suggesting that the motivation to learn mathematics is somewhat apart from the other motivations. This has implications for those in the field who usually place math skills with the literacy skills.
5. Community/Church Involvement. This category depicted ABE students as people who want to play more active roles in their religious and lay organizations and as citizens.
6. Job Advancement. The items here included wanting to do a job better, wanting promotion, wanting to get a better job. This grouping really only applied to those already employed - usually a minority in ABE programs.
7. Launching. Items in this category seemed to cluster around expectations of imminent life changes - marriage, parenthood - which would demand a restructuring of the respondents' lives. Further analysis also revealed respondents with high scores in this category to be young - at the point of moving from adolescence to adulthood. This appears to be a new factor which has emerged in the motivational literature and is the only factor directly related to life-cycle phenomena.
8. Economic Need. Items here related to finding a job, wanting to get off welfare, wanting to earn more money.
9. Educational Advancement. Items here related to high school completion and to the aspiration for higher education.
10. Urging of Others. This factor depicted motivation as a response to external pressures to attend ABE. It was the only overtly extrinsic factor.

(If the above ten factors are rearranged according to the highest mean item means obtained for each factor in this study, the ranking is as follows: Educational Advancement, Self-Improvement, Literacy Development, Community/Church Involvement, Economic Need, Family Responsibilities, Diversion and Job Advancement (tied in seventh place), Launching, and Urging of Others.)