Motivation for Adult Learning – New Publication

The latest issue of the Austrian journal erwachsenenbildung.at features an article by Günter Hefler and Eva Steinheimer on the development of adults’ motivation to continue their education.

The magazine erwachsenenbildung.at (Meb) is an Austrian pro­fes­sio­nal journal for adult education published by the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research and the Austrian Federal Institute for Adult Education. It aims to foster dialogue between research and practice.

The current issue focuses on adult education from a life-course per­spec­ti­ve. Across 15 articles, the authors explore how bio­gra­phi­cal expe­ri­en­ces shape edu­ca­tio­nal processes in adulthood. Topics range from moti­va­ti­on for or decisions against par­ti­ci­pa­ti­on in education in adulthood to critical life events as trigger points for learning. In addition, the issue high­lights per­spec­ti­ves and approa­ches to dis­cus­sion such as systemic and histo­ri­cal per­spec­ti­ves on lifelong learning.

Günter Hefler and Eva Steinheimer con­tri­bu­ted an article on the emergence of moti­va­ti­on for taking up education in adulthood. They inve­sti­ga­te the cir­cum­stances under which adults decide to re-engage in education after periods of non-par­ti­ci­pa­ti­on, focusing on the interplay between life events, deve­lo­p­men­tal tasks and changing life cir­cum­stances. The article also demon­stra­tes how these processes and dynamics across the life course can be condensed and visua­li­sed through life structure diagrams.

The full issue can be down­loa­ded here.