Learning in later life: motivation and impact

This report was commissioned to explore the impact of participation in learning of a group of people aged 50 to 71, their reasons for participation or not, and the impact of learning on their health, family and social lives. A total of 336 face-to-face interviews were conducted and 30 respondents participated in an in-depth interview during which the impact of and motivation to learn were explored in greater detail. The authors examined patterns of learning, motivations to learn, reasons for not learning, future plans, wider aspects of learners and non-learners and the impact of learning on health and social involvement. A clear range of benefits are reported among learners, particularly in terms of self-confidence, self-esteem and general satisfaction with life.

A summary of the National Adult Learning Survey (1997) for adults aged 16-59 is indexed at TD/TNC 62.661. Show less