Context That Motivates Adult Learning There are four “distinct context” to motivate adult learners according to the research of Malcolm Knowles (Alexander, M. , Clugston, W, & Tice, E. (2009) these are; Practical, Personal, Experiential and Idealistic Context. Practical context describes one who is motivated by intentional or specific personal gain where you deliberately choose to learn a subject or activity knowing in advance of starting the learning process that it will benefit and /or be useful to you either immediately or in the future.
Personal context motivation is when one has the desire to further their education in an effort to achieve personal goals. Experiential context is when one is motivated to expand or adjust the knowledge gained through past experiences and applying it to new challenges or experiences to form updated results. Idealistic context motivation is learning for the sole purpose of learning, discovering and staying up to date and “in the know. ” Practical context is my type of motivation to learn.
Before applying to Ashford I was certain that the hard work and dedication I put into earning my degree in Human Resources Management will open opportunities for professional advancement in my career goals. My current occupation is Human Resources Representative in a corporate setting with over 10 years of experience in the Human Resources field. I have enough experience the Human Resources field that I am confident I will succeed as a manager. However, I cannot be considered for a management position until I achieve a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management.
