Motivating academic engagement and lifelong learning among vocational and adult education students via self-direction in learning

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2021.101729Get rights and content

Highlights

  • This study was a self-directed learning intervention for postgraduate students’ well-being.

  • Students’ study engagement was significantly fostered via the intervention.

  • Tendency for lifelong learning among students was facilitated via the intervention.

  • We theorized that self-directed learning model is a function of constructivism learning theory.

  • Our novel study has extended literature in learning and instructional approaches.

Abstract

Fostering students’ academic engagement in the present-day knowledge-seeking environment and dwindling economy has become very imperative. Supported by the premise of constructivism learning theory, this study investigates the relative influence of self-directed learning intervention on study engagement and lifelong learning tendency. The non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design was employed, with pretest and posttest surveys that involved an intervention group (n = 127) and a control group (n = 116) who were postgraduate students of Vocational and Adult Education. The results revealed a significantly higher study engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption) in the intervention group than the control group. Similarly, a comparison between the intervention and control group showed a significantly higher tendency for lifelong learning (motivation, perseverance, self-regulation, and curiosity) in the intervention group than the control group. Thus, the implication of the findings is that an educational intervention that is geared towards enhancing self-direction in learning promotes academic well-being among students.

Introduction

Following the perceived inherent academic-related concerns (e.g. lack of motivation, dissatisfaction with a major, and difficulties in transiting from school to work; c.f. Muro et al., 2018; Murthy et al., 2019; Wehmeyer, 1995) among some categories of university students (e.g. vocational and adult education students; Mbagwu et al., 2020), the possibility of continuous decay in students’ academic engagement (Siu et al., 2014; Trowler, 2010) and the tendency for lifelong learning (Chukwuedo, 2019; Garipagaoglu, 2013) will continue to heighten. Because there are concerns on the extent students engage in their studies and the desire to promote personal and professional development, stimulating students’ interests in learning as well as fostering their abilities to invest time in academic activities (Altintas et al., 2020) for personal, social and professional development (Cohen et al., 2009; ten Dam & Blom, 2006) has become very important for successful learning outcomes. Consequently, optimum ability to be effectively engaged in one’s academic and professional development may be attained by encouraging self-direction in learning (SDL); which is characterized by the ability to take initiative in learning tasks with or without assistance (Brookfield, 2009; Knowles, 1975). We, therefore, proposed that self-direction in learning is a potential motivational model to facilitate study engagement and promote the tendency for lifelong learning (LLL) among university students.

Study engagement dovetails to behaviors such as vigor, dedication, and absorption in a given context. It is a conscious and voluntary effort an individual makes to allocate and direct their resources towards achieving studious, academic, and vocational-related tasks (Schaufeli et al., 2002; Siu et al., 2014; Zhang et al., 2007) or to achieve the seeming unattainable expectancy equity in academic major or vocation. Meanwhile, student, school, academic, or study engagement (as used interchangeably in the literature – Alrashidin et al., 2016) is typified or measured in different dimensions in the engagement literature. For instance, Finn (1989) typified school engagement as behavioral and emotional engagement. Recently, literature has shown three dimensions of engagement - behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement of students is studied as the dimensions to school or student engagement (Fredricks et al., 2004). More specifically, another recent school of thought identified and studied the dimensions to engagement as vigor, dedication, and absorption (e.g. Salmera-Aro & Read, 2017; Schaufeli et al., 2006; Siu et al., 2014; Zhang et al., 2007). Thus, in this study, study engagement is the extent to which students are motivated to invest their academic-related resources (time, effort, energy, etc.) to enhance and optimize their learning experiences and outcomes (Siu et al., 2014; Trowler, 2010). We, therefore, employed the dimensions (vigor, dedication, and absorption) of study engagement in this study because the dimensions are characterized by being actively engaged in a learning milieu.

Vigor is characterized by the willingness to devote effort, intellectual resilience, and a high level of energy, while dedication involves the sense of enthusiasm, challenge, and pride; whereas absorption is characterized by being fully engrossed in a related learning task or activities (Alrashidin et al., 2016, p. 42; Schaufeli, et al., 2002, pp. 74-75). Since these dimensions of study engagement involve a student being actively involved in a related activity (Alrashidin et al., 2016; Korobova & Starobin, 2015; Putarek et al., 2019; Salmera-Aro, 2017) via being self-directed or inspired/motivated for its corresponding outcomes (Kuh, 2009), we deemed it fit to employ self-direction learning model as a learner-motivational intervention (Altintas et al., 2020; Ayyildiz, & Tarhan, 2015; Ekpo et al., 2017; Ors, 2018; Towle & Cottrell, 1996) to foster study engagement among university students.

Just like study engagement, the tendency for LLL is another construct that requires an individual to be actively involved or motivated for its corresponding outcomes because it is geared towards personal, social, and professional development. Lifelong learning has gained attention in education (Cik et al., 2004) because it encompasses the formal, informal, and non-formal learning experiences of an individual throughout their life (Chukwuedo, 2019; Illeris, 2006; Laal et al., 2014). By implication, education scholars (e.g. Cik et al., 2004; Laal & Salaman, 2012) have admitted that it is necessary to promote LLL tendencies, competencies, and experiences among students. Lifelong learning tendency is a learner’s inclination to consistently engage in learning activities that are geared towards promoting personal and professional development (Laal & Salamati, 2012; Martinez-Mediano & Lord, 2012). Because of the worldwide dwindling economic and social milieu, students may tend to exhibit some level of doubt in engaging in LLL activities. Hence, there is a need for LLL tendency intervention via a motivational initiative that is based on self-learning theory (Ors, 2018; Wehmeyer, 1995). Since students’ tendencies for learning can be internally and externally motivated (Lizzio & Wilson, 2009), it is also necessary that their LLL tendency is stimulated.

In the context of this study, motivating LLL tendency involves a self-directed learning (SDL) intervention that is geared to promote students’ inclinations to consistently embark on learning activities (formal, informal, and non-formal) for their personal and professional development while in school and upon graduation (Coskun & Demirel, 2010; Mbagwu et al., 2020; Uzunboyln & Selcuk, 2016). According to Coskun and Demirel (2010), LLL tendency is a measure of a learner’s curiosity, self-regulatory behavior, motivation, and perseverance to embark on personal, social, and professional learning activities. These characteristics constitute the dimensions of LLL tendency (Coskun & Demirel, 2010; Demirel & Akkogunlu, 2017). Thus, lifelong learners are active rather than passive learners that need to be motivated or inspired either intrinsically or extrinsically (Cetin & Cetin, 2017; Lizzio & Wilson, 2009). In other words, motivating one’s self-direction in learning can be a model for LLL.

From the conceptualization of the variables of this study, it can be inferred that students' study engagement and the tendency for LLL should be motivated. In recent times, there is relatively growing attention in study engagement literature (e.g. Alrashidin et al., 2016; Siu et al., 2014) and LLL (e.g. Garipagaoglu, 2013; Solmaz & Aydin, 2016), but, to our knowledge, there are limited studies on the modalities to enhance study engagement (c.f. Datu & Valdez, 2016; Salmera-Aro & Read, 2017; Siu et al., 2014) and facilitate the tendency for LLL (c.f. Cetin & Cetin, 2017; Mbagwu et al., 2020; Uzunboyln, & Selcuk, 2016). Similarly, studies on SDL have confirmed that it fosters academic outcomes (e.g. Ayyildiz & Tarhan, 2015; Kim et al., 2014); but none were geared towards applying self-directed learning intervention to motivate study engagement and LLL tendency among students. Based on these identified gaps, we intend to extend literature and advance knowledge in the understanding of the links between SDL model, study engagement, and LLL tendency. Thus, the current study is to investigate the effects of SDL intervention on students' study engagement and LLL tendency.

Section snippets

Theories and hypotheses for the study

This study is supported by the theories of SDL and constructivism. Upon the premise of SDL theoretical framework (a learner can be guided, motivated and stimulated to take responsibility in decision-making, as it relates to learning or vocational behaviors - Ayyildiz & Tarhan, 2015; Garrison, 1997; Gerber et al., 1995; Knowles, 1975; Saks & Leijen, 2014; Skager, 1979; Towle & Cottrell, 1996), our intervention is conducted in line with the tenets of SDL to help and motivate students in taking

Research design

This study was a nonequivalent control-group of quasi-experimental research design, with a two-wave survey at two different times (pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys) that involved a control group and an intervention group. In this design, a group of students from an intact class in a state-owned university in Nigeria was used as the intervention group, while another group of students from an intact class in another state-owned university in Nigeria formed the control group.

Preliminary analysis

To enable us to authenticate and verify the results of the data analyses for the test of the hypotheses, we performed preliminary analyses of the relationship between the variables (see the appendix). There were no statistically significant correlations (p > .05) between age and any of the dependent variables. The moderate correlations between the dependent variables - study engagement and LLL tendency measures (r < .70) implies adequate correlation for MANOVA to be performed (Meyers et al.,

Discussions

The central goal of this study was to ascertain the relative influence of SDL in promoting effective study engagement and facilitating LLL tendency for personal and professional development. Upon the framework that a motivated and persuaded SDL helps an individual to select, manage, assess, and take decisions in his/her learning activities (Ayyildiz & Tarhan, 2015; Laal & Salamati, 2012; Martinez-Mediano & Lord, 2012), we theorized and found that SDL intervention fosters study engagement (c.f.

Conclusion

Promoting effective study engagement and the tendency for LLL among graduate students has become very imperative in the present day dwindling economy and knowledge seeking. Based on the findings of this study, we conclude that SDL intervention is a learning or instructional approach that promotes effective study engagement and its dimensions (viz., vigor, dedication, and absorption). The study also concludes that the SDL model facilitates the tendency for LLL (viz., self-regulation,

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