Study on Learning Motivation of Master’s Students in Master’s Course in Leadership and Organizations at the University of Debrecen

Abstract

The aim of our study is to present the topic of adult learning and its motivation. We first define the definitions and importance of learning in a person’s life. We then turn to the definitions of motivation and the historical background and evolution of adult learning. We also point out some big events that helped reaching the today’s form of adult learning. Moreover, the motivation of adult learning as a function of different motivational theories is presented. In the second half of the study, an initial research is focusing on the motivation of adult learning. The subjects of our research are young adults who are studying at the Master’s programme in Management and Organisation at the Faculty of Economics, University of Debrecen. Our questionnaire was filled by 27 students, as only a small sample was available during the pandemic time. By the results, we want to get answers to which different factors motivate examined young adults in studying. According to the results, these students are mostly motivated by the fact that they can largely shape their own learning effectiveness and external factors do not affect this that much. Moreover, they perceive that they have control over their learning performance, which has a great influence on their learning motivation. With the results, we want to give an idea of how the learning motivation of the students can be characterized to both lecturers and human resource professionals working in the private sector. We intend to expand the research to a larger sample in the future.