Post-educational motivation to learn cognitive skills in three European labour markets. A comparative analysis of the PIAAC

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study advances the analysis of cognitive skill use at work by considering another crucial factor: the motivation-to-learn (MtL). Previous research has indicated that MtL forms cognitive skills in the school setting. However, the role of MtL in the work setting is much less understood. The present study analyses the association between MtL and cognitive skill use in three major European labour markets: Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, using the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Findings from a regression analysis of cognitive skill use on MtL and various control variables show that the independent contribution of MtL is about as important as the combined contribution of literacy/numeracy proficiency, although a decomposition analysis reveals further insights about how MtL, literacy/numeracy proficiency, and education intersect each other in the determination of cognitive skill use. The found association is remarkably stable across different samples and model specifications. Some heterogeneities are however revealed, such as a larger relative importance of MtL among the low-educated in the Netherlands. The findings are interpreted in light of contemporary theory on institutional regimes, concentrating on cross-country differences in on-the-job training prevalence.