Motivation and personality traits in adult learners

Abstract

In contrast to traditional students, post-traditional students follow a broken path through the education system. Therefore, they are older when studying and often have jobs and families. The aim of the present study was to investigate motivation and personality character traits in 67 adult learners (part-time students) and 84 traditional students using the Czech version of the Business-Focused Inventory of Personality. Adult learners reported a higher level in all aspects of their personality in relation to working life, such as occupational orientation and behaviour, social competencies, and psychological constitution. These findings indicate that, from study-related requirements, part-time students pose higher achievement and motivation, and that they are more conscientious in relation to work and study.

Keywords

Post-traditional students adult learners personality traits motivation BIP

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bamber

Tett

(2000). Transforming the learning experiences of non-traditional students: A perspective from higher education. Studies in Continuing Education, 22(1), 57–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/713695715

Bennett

C. A.

Hsiao

E.-L.

Dees

D. C.

Kim

Bochenko

M. J.

(2020). The impact of TRIO Student Support Services on academic performance of non-traditional students at a public state college in Georgia. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477971420915938

Bennett

Evans

Riedle

(2007). Comparing academic motivation and accomplishments among traditional, nontraditional, and distance education college students. Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research, 12(4), 154–161.

Birknerova

(2012). Professional preconditions for successful managerial work. Advances in Asian Social Science, 1(1), 67–71.

Botek

Sládek

(2018). Use of psychodiagnostics in hiring – Comparison on students from Prague universities. In Bevanda

?0026; Štetić

(Eds.), 3rd International Thematic Monograph: Modern management tools and economy of tourism sector in present era (pp. 755–768). Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans.

Bowl

(2001). Experiencing the barriers: Non-traditional students entering higher education. Research Papers in Education, 16(2), 141–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671520110037410

Bye

Pushkar

Conway

(2007). Motivation, interest, and positive affect in traditional and non-traditional undergraduate students. Adult Education Quarterly, 57(2), 141–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741713606294235

Choy

(2002). Nontraditional undergraduates. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Crone

T. S.

Babb

Torres

(2020). Assessing the relationship between non-traditional factors and academic entitlement. Adult Education Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741713620905270

10.

ČSÚ [Český statistický úřad]. (2015, October 27). 5. Vysoké školy. https://www.czso.cz/documents/10180/20555525/23004215t05.pdf/

11.

Davis

S. K.

Hadwin

A. F.

(2021). Exploring differences in psychological well-being and self-regulated learning in university student success. Frontline Learning Research, 9(1), 30–43. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v9i1.581

12.

Dollhausen

Wolter

Lattke

Scheliga

Spexard

Geffers

Banscherus

(2013). Developing the adult learning sector: LOT3: Opening higher education to adults. Final Report. European Commission.

13.

Eppler

M. A.

Harju

B. L.

(1997). Achievement motivation goals in relation to academic performance in traditional and nontraditional college students. Research in Higher Education, 38(5), 557–573. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024944429347

14.

Hermon

D. A.

Davis

G. A.

(2004). College student wellness: A comparison between traditional- and non-traditional-age students. Journal of College Counseling, 7(1), 32–39. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1882.2004.tb00257.x

15.

Hossiep

Paschen

Hoskovcová

Vybíralová

(2011). BIP - Bochumský osobnostní dotazník. Praha: Hogrefe - Testcentrum.

16.

Jirsáková, J., Votava, J., & Urban, K. (2020). Experience and awareness of upper secondary school students with career counselling in Czech Republic. In V. Dislere (Ed), Rural Environment. Education. Personality (REEP). (2020). Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference (pp. 412–419). Jelgava: Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. https://doi.org/10.22616/REEP.2020.048.

17.

Johnson

M. L.

Taasoobshirazi

Clark

Howell

Breen

(2016). Motivations of traditional and nontraditional college students: From self-determination and attributions, to expectancy and values. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 64(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/07377363.2016.1132880

18.

Kauer

Prinzessin zu Waldeck

T. C.

Schäffer

(2007). Effects of top management team characteristics on strategic decision making. Management Decision, 45(6), 942–967. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00251740710762017

19.

Kaufman

J. C.

Agars

M. D.

Lopez-Wagner

M. C.

(2008). The role of personality and motivation in predicting early college academic success in non-traditional students at a Hispanic-serving institution. Learning and Individual Differences, 18, 492–496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2007.11.004

20.

Kelly

Donaldson

(2016). Investigating the complexities of academic success: Personality constrains the effects of metacognition. Psychology of Education Review, 40(2), 17–24.

21.

Khorramdel

Kubinger

K. D.

Uitz

(2014). The influence of item order on intentional response distortion in the assessment of high potentials: Assessing pilot applicants. International Journal of Psychology, 49(2), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12015

22.

Kuba

(2014). Konstruktová validita Bochumského osobnostního dotazníku: Motivační dimenze. Testfórum, 4, 74–83. https://doi.org/10.5817/TF2014-4-19

23.

Marino

Vieno

Lenzi

Fernie

B. A.

Nikčević

A. V.

Spada

M. M.

(2018). Personality traits and metacognitions as predictors of positive mental health in college students. Journal of Happiness Studies: An Interdisciplinary Forum on Subjective Well-Being, 19(2), 365–379. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9825-y

24.

Novotný

Brücknerová

Juhaňák

Rozvadská

(2019). Driven to be a non-traditional student: Measurement of the Academic motivation scale with adult learners after their transition to university. Studia Paedagogica, 24(2), 109–135. https://doi.org/10.5817/SP2019-2-5

25.

Pintrich

P. R.

(2000). The role of goal orientation in self-regulated learning. In Boekaerts

Pintrich

P. R.

Zeidner

(Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 451–502). Academic Press.

26.

Pintrich

P. R.

(2003). A motivational science perspective on the role of student motivation in learning and teaching contexts. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(4), 667–686. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.95.4.667

27.

Rabušicová

Rabušic

Šeďová

(2008). Motivace a bariéry ve vzdělávání dospělých. In Rabušicová

?0026; Rabušic

(Ed.), Učíme se po celý život? O vzdělánání dospělých v České republice (pp. 98–111). Masarykova univerzita.

28.

Radford

A. W.

Cominole

Skomsvold

(2015). Demographic and enrollment characteristics of nontraditional undergraduates, 2011–12. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

29.

Rantanen

Metsäpelto

R.-L.

Feldt

Pulkkinen

Kokko

(2007). Long-term stability in the Big Five personality traits in adulthood. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 48(6), 511–518. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2007.00609.x

30.

Sackett

P. R.

Walmsley

P. T.

(2014). Which personality attributes are most important in the workplace? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9(5), 538–551. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614543972

31.

Salmi

(2001). Tertiary education in the 21st century: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of the Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education: Higher Education Management, 12(2), 105–125.

32.

Schmitt

(2004). Beyond the Big Five: Increases in understanding and practical utility. Human Performance, 17(3), 347–357. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327043hup1703_5

33.

Schuetze

H. G.

(2014). From adults to non-traditional students to lifelong learners in higher education: Changing contexts and perspectives. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 20(2), 37–55. https://doi.org/10.7227/JACE.20.2.4

34.

Seitl

Charvát

(2018). Attachment styles: A motivational framework of personality dispositions in selection and counseling. Človek a Spoločnosť, 21(1), 12–28.

35.

Seitl

Charvát

Lečbych

(2016). Psychometrické charakteristiky Českej škály Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) [Psychometric characteristics of the Czech version of Experiences in Close Relationships Scale]. Československá Psychologie, LX(4), 351–371.

36.

Semmar

(2006). Distance learners and academic achievement: The role of self-efficacy, self-regulation and motivation. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 12(2), 244–256. https://doi.org/10.7227/JACE.12.2.9

37.

Shillingford

Karlin

N. J.

(2013). The role of intrinsic motivation in the academic pursuits of non-traditional students. New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 25(3), 91–102. https://doi.org/10.1002/nha3.20033

38.

Sněhotová

Urban

Votava

(2021). Self-direction. In Němejc

?0026; Bakay

E. M.

(Eds.), CATCH 21st century skills: Teaching materials (pp. 97–134). Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Institute of Education and Communication.

39.

Soares

(2013). Post-traditional learners and the transformation of postsecondary education: A manifesto for college leaders. American Council on Education.

40.

Srivastava

John

O. P.

Gosling

S. D.

Potter

(2003). Development of personality in early and middle adulthood: Set like plaster or persistent change? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(5), 1041–1053. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.5.1041

41.

Tyson

M. A.

(2020). Perspectives of adult undergraduate women working towards a degree. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477971420934820

42.

Urban, M., & Urban, K. (2019). Creativity, metacognition and intrinsic motivation: a new perspective on self-regulated learning. In Book of Abstracts JURE 2019 (p. 4). Aachen: Aachen University.

43.

Urban

(2019). Psychologické potreby autonómie, kompetencie a spolupatričnosti v koučingu, mentoringu a supervízii [Psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness in coaching, mentoring and supervision]. In Urban

(Ed.), Psychológia pre poradcov a poradkyne: Teoretické východiská a na riešenie zamerané techniky (pp. 61–100). Prague: Institute of Education and Communication.

44.

Votava, J., Urban, K., & Jirsáková, J. (2020). Student typology in terms of career learning needs. In J. Fejfar, & M. Flégl (Eds), Efficiency and responsibility in education (ERIE): 17th international conference (pp. 316–323). Prague: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.

45.

Zimmerman

B. J.

(1990). Self-regulated learning and academic achievement: An overview. Educational Psychologist, 25(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2501_2