EVALUATION OF MOTIVATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PERFORMANCE LEARNERS IN CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMME

EVALUATION OF MOTIVATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE PERFORMANCE LEARNERS IN CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMME

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1Background of the Study

It is true that an increasing number of people are returning to school for continuing education. According to Chao, Stover DeRocco, and Flynn (2017), 44 percent of postsecondary students in the United States were adults aged 24 and up. The number of part-time and open distance learners in Malaysia’s public higher education institutions has increased significantly from 30,661 in 2002 to 49,309 in 2008. (Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi Malaysia, 2019). Adults are motivated to participate in continuing education by the need for a global economy that prioritizes a knowledge-based society. The knowledge-based society emphasizes highly skilled and multiskilled individuals who are globally mobile, fiercely competitive, productive, adaptable, autonomous, and critical thinkers (Tan, 2015). Working adults are aware of this and make use of it.

continuing education in order to increase their chances of success at work and in life (Madsen & Wilson, 2016; Mulenga & Liang, 2018). According to Houle (2016), continuing education is a deliberate and methodical effort to introduce, review, or change the professional performance capabilities of professionals. In reality, Wong (2015) defines continuing education as any learning options available after the cessation or completion of full-time, mandatory schooling. This type of education does not appear to have an end, necessitating motivation, as long as individual individuals are eager to learn new objects, concepts, or information to enable them to perform efficiently and successfully in their communities.

Motivation, according to its etymology, is the study of what causes a person to initiate, direct, continue, and ultimately complete an action. action. An example of an accomplishment activity is studying for a test. According to Miller (2020), motivation is the study of human thought and behavior. It is a branch of psychology concerned with the understanding of how behavior is activated, organized, and directed. It could be argued that all acts that appear to have the same purpose, such as eating, are motivated and driven by the same idea (hunger). Adult learners in continuing education programs must be motivated in some way in order for them to embrace continuing education programs with zeal. People who are motivated to learn can be persuaded to actively participate in continuing education programs (Wong, 2015). Making a continuing education learning environment, for example, suitable for adult learners

Participants or learners who maintain a calm mind while learning may attract more people. This requires ensuring that program participants have comfortable places to sit. The lighting or illumination of the learning space may entice more adult participants to attend a continuing education center. As a result, the teacher or facilitator of continuing education programs must ensure that the adult learners’ anticipated needs and goals are met as soon as possible.

According to Boshier, adults are motivated to pursue continuing education by a variety of internal and external influences (2021). Garst and Ried (2019). However, according to Abdul Razaq Ahmad et al. (2019), only 8% of higher education institutions met their students’ expectations.

the programs and courses that were available. To reach and educate this growing population, universities and other institutions must first gain a better understanding of the challenges associated with motivation. Furthermore, motivation and academic success are linked. Adult learners in continuing education may use motivating elements to represent their views and perceptions about putting in the required study effort, which may have an impact on their academic success. According to Knowles, Holton, and Swanson, there hasn’t been much research on adult learning until recently (2021).

There are very few empirical studies on non-traditional students, such as adult learners, and the vast majority of academic achievement research is centered on traditional young students. There is, on the other hand,

a scarcity of research on the relationship between adult learners’ academic achievement and motivation to continue their education (Miner 2020). Understanding the motivating factors that influence adult learners’ academic success in their learning programs may assist the government, ministry of education, higher education institutions, program planners, and teachers in better meeting the needs of the learners. It is also possible to improve their academic achievement by modifying policy, learning resources, administrative procedures, consultation services, educational programs, and teaching quality (Abdul Razaq Ahmad et al., 2019).

1.2Problem statement

Adult learners have recently demonstrated a strong desire to learn even faster when fully motivated. According to Kuyik (2019), while motivation is a powerful force in all human endeavors, the rate at which it manifests itself is not. The manner in which adult learners in continuing education and other adult education-related programs are treated appears discouraging. Eric (2020) went on to say that adult learners frequently complain about being treated like children simply because they are going through a learning process. The issue appears to be complex, as the organizers do not appear to be aware of the negative impact this has on the performance of adult learners. As a result, Jarvis (2021) maintains that the primary motivator for adult learners is need. If an adult is in need of any particular skill or knowledge, he or she must develop a genuine interest in acquiring or learning such skills and knowledge. Despite the fact that there is a wealth of literature on motivation,

and improved achievement, but few studies have focused on adult learners in continuing education. This study seeks to determine the evaluation of motivation and its impact on the performance of learners in a continuing education program based on this premise.

1.3 Research Objectives

The broad goal of this study is to assess motivation and its impact on learner performance in a continuing education program. Other specific goals include:

i. To determine whether motivation is important in reshaping adult learners’ attitudes toward learning.

ii. Determine whether a teacher’s attitude influences adult learners’ performance in continuing education centers.

iii. Determine whether motivation has a significant impact on adult learners’ academic achievement.

iv. To determine whether the extent to which motivational factors influence

adult learners academic achievement.

1.4Research Issue

The following research inquiries were made:

i. Does motivation play an important role in reshaping adult learners’ attitudes toward learning?

ii. Is the attitude of the teacher a factor in adult learners’ performance in continuing education centers?

iii. Does motivation have a significant impact on adult learners’ academic achievement?

iv. To what extent do motivational factors influence adult learners’ academic achievement?

1.5 Importance of the research

The following people will benefit specifically from the study.

Adult learners would be the primary beneficiaries of this study because they would gain a great deal from its recommendations and outcomes. In school, they would be introduced to the concepts of motivation and achievement. This research will also encourage them to work hard in the classroom. in order to improve their performance rates at the continuing education center. This study would be extremely beneficial to parents because it would allow them to have a positive perception of their children’s motivation and academic achievement. The study’s recommendations will undoubtedly assist parents in motivating adolescents to achieve high academic achievement. The study’s recommendations will no doubt assist parents in motivating their children to be high academic achievers in school. Guidance counselors will see this study as beneficial and good because the recommendations will help them counsel people, particularly adolescents, who have low academic achievement due to poor or non-motivation by either parents or teachers.

Their facilitators or parents. This discovery is critical for program designers and adult educators. They will be able to motivate adult learners to pursue continuing education more intrinsically. They will improve their learning outcomes and develop quality human capital in this manner. Empirically, the study will add to the general body of knowledge and serve as a resource for scholars who want to conduct additional research in a related field.

1.6 The scope of the research

The study focused on assessing motivation and its impact on learner performance in a continuing education program. Continuing education centers in Abeokuta, Ogun State, received special attention.

1.7 Study Restrictions

As with any human endeavor, the researchers encountered minor challenges while carrying out their work. out the study. The significant constraint was the scarcity of literature on the subject because it is a new discourse, so the researcher incurred more financial expenses and spent more time sourcing for relevant materials, literature, or information and in the data collection process, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited sample size covering only selected continuing education centers within Abeokuta, Ogun State. As a result, the findings of this study cannot be generalized to secondary schools in other Nigerian states. Furthermore, the researcher’s involvement in this study while also working on other academic projects will impede maximum dedication to the research. Nonetheless, despite the constraints encountered during the research, all factors were minimized in order to provide