e-International Journal of Educational Research

Abstract

Participation of adults to education/learning activities and their motivational orientations has been subject of many adult educational studies. Determination of underlying reasons/motives of adult learners to participate to education and learning activities will provide more information about why they want to learn. The purpose of this study is to determine the motivational orientations of adult learners, based on Houle's classification, for participating courses organized by Mugla People's Education Center in 2010-2011 academic years. This study also explores (1) relationship between motivational orientations and demographics characterics of adult learners, (2) the distribution of adult learners' motivational orientations, (3) relationship between motivational orintations of adult learners participating in vocational-technical and socio-cultural courses and (4) dominant motivational orinetations of adult learners.

Method: In this study quantitative research approach adopted and data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of 55 items, developed by researcher as a result of a literature review and Houle's typology based on adult learners and the corresponding three motivational orientations. After content validity and reliability works, "Questionaire for Motivational Orientations of Adult Learners" were applied to adult learners attended courses organized by the Mugla People's Education Center. 562 valid questionnaires were collected. Data were analyzed by using frequency (f), percent (%), arithmetic mean, standard deviation, independent T-test, Median, ANOVA and MANOVA in SPSS 18 package program.

Findings: Research findings shown that adult learners mostly female, fewer than 30 years old and high school graduates. According to three basic motivational orientations, the vast majority of adult learners are learning-oriented. Goal and activity orientations were followed respectively the learning orientation. Significiant differences between adult learners' motivational orientations and gender, age, marital status, employment status, education level, and the number of courses they previously attended were determined (p<.05). On the other hand there were no significant relationship between motivational orientations and association/foundation membership (p>.05). Accordingly, female adult learners are activity and goal oriented more than male adult learners. Young adults at the age of under 30 and below were founded to be goal oriented. Single adult learners are goal oriented; married adult learners are activity and learning oriented. Unemployed adult learners are inclied to each of the three orientations. According to the education level, compulsory education graduates of adult learners are mainly goal oriented; primary school graduates are activity and learning oriented. Adult learners who participated in three and more courses are learning oriented. Adult learners, attended in the socio-cultural courses for the first time at People's Education Center are goal oriented. Motivational orientations of adult learners who are participated to vocational-technical and socio-cultural courses are significantly different from dimensions of goal and activity orientations. Accordingly, adult learners who are participated to vocational-technical courses are goal and activity oriented more than adults participated to socio-cultural courses. In accordance with the median scores, goal orientation is the most dominant orientation among adult learners, and activity-learning orientations are the most dominant orientations in sense double orientation. 21,9% of adult learners are dominant at three orientation, while 24,8% is not dominant any motivational orientations.

Suggestions: According to results, motivational orientatios and needs of age groups should be considered while learning activities were organising for adult learners. And, learning environment of adults should be reorganized in accordance with these needs.