Motivation for lifelong learning: a biographical account of efficacy and control

Abstract

Research on motivation for learning (or achievement motivation) has flourished in the past 30 years. Social-cognitive theories dominate the field and have provided many insights, but have been criticised for relying on a traditional methodological base and lacking contextualisation and embeddedness in individual experience. In the current ‘learning age’, sustaining motivation for (often formal/academic) learning across the life span is increasingly expected, but understanding the persistence of such learning across life is not well understood. Much of the work on motivation for learning is quantitative, employing questionnaires, brief interviews or experimental manipulations. Longitudinal, qualitative research is sparse, though a necessary counterpoint that can provide contextualised and alternative accounts of motivation through time and across culture. This paper presents a case study applying self-efficacy research, the lifespan theory of control and transitions theory to an individual’s learning trajectory.