Why there is a lack of motivation for learning in the UK

A new study by AVADO has revealed that a significant number of UK students have a negative approach to learning, with 32% admitting that they feel lazy, unmotivated, or nervous about learning and development.

This lack of motivation towards learning may have been sparked from early school years, with only 22% of the participants in this survey staying that they enjoyed learning in their school years. In addition to this 21% said that they did not work as hard as they could.

In addition to this, it was also highlighted that women are twice more likely to be nervous when it comes to working. With 6% of women agreeing to this in comparison to 3% of men. However when it comes to being motivated and having a positive attitude towards work. 19% of women agreed to this, in comparison to 15% of men.

Amy Crawford, MD AVADO Learning said, “Whilst it’s a shame to see we were not surprised by some of the perceived barriers towards extracurricular growth and development, including cost, travel and family commitments. It was, however, really positive to see the high number of people who would consider partaking in an online course to further their education.

Learning and development are crucial in future workforces. As this can improve employee satisfaction, and can highlight staff weaknesses that therefore can improve overall company performance. So this lack of motivation in learning that is highlighted in this research is concerning for future workplaces and generations.

A surprising statistic was the lack of interest in further education, as these findings found that 18% of these participants believed that progressing in Masters or PhDs wouldn’t be beneficial to them.

When looking at the reasoning behind there is such a lack of motivation to learn more. Studies show that a significant percentage of these partakers saying that the cost of learning was a huge issue. With 48% saying this. Other significant reasons include travel concerns at 27%, and family and work life at 21%. However many have agreed that the internet has influenced their intention to learn. With 59% saying that they look to the internet for an answer.

35% said they use the internet as a tool to further educate themselves, and 55% say they would definitely take part in an online course that further their education. So this could showcase that there could be a solution to this lack of motivation through online courses. With such a large number of participants saying that they would participate in this, and the main reasons being behind not learning more is through cost travel and time commitments. Online costing could offer a flexible and potentially a cheaper option.

Amy Crawford ended by saying “We do not believe we are a nation of lazy learners, but instead are looking for ways we can better ourselves that fit within already busy schedules. With online courses and learning opportunities now more accessible than ever, we would urge everyone to park their school-time prejudices and consider learning something new, whether it be to progress in your existing career or enter into a completely new industry.”

The research for AVADO was carried out online by Opinion Matters between 19/10/2018 and 23/10/2018 amongst a panel resulting in 2,014 general respondents and 1,239 employed respondents.