Motivational factors

Understanding what motivates a person to learn is a key factor in effective instruction. Practitioners need to understand what brings learners to the program every day and what encourages learners to continue to improve their skills and knowledge. Is it their belief in their abilities, their desire to achieve competence or their willingness to change? Practitioners often identify that learners have low levels of motivation. What motivates us is unique to each individual. However, some of the variables that affect people's motivation to learn are:

• Attitudes toward learning based on previous individual, family and peer experiences
• Beliefs about oneself
• Active involvement in establishing goals
• Ownership of goals
• Level of involvement in learning and relevancy of learning to goals
• Supports within the learning environment
• Supports within the home environment
• Personal attributes

As learners begin to gain a better understanding of their challenges and strengths and begin to internalize that they can learn, they are more likely to be internally motivated to engage in learning for its own sake.⁶

Adult learners constantly weigh the pros and cons that affect their motivation to learn. The more positive benefits learners perceive, the more motivated they become. Thus motivation can be influenced! The practitioner's role is to set the stage for a positive and motivational learning experience.