EXPLORING ADULTS’ NEEDS AND MOTIVATION TO PARTICIPATE IN LIFELONG EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

Abstract

Continuous education affects not only the professional and personal development of adults but also the development of the country’s economy as a whole. With the rapid development of technology and globalization, some professions are being replaced by technology or require constant updating of skills and knowledge. To adapt to this, adults need to be flexible and constantly learning. According to these data from surveys by the OECD, there is a need to increase the level of involvement of adults in Kazakhstan in lifelong learning to address the low level of literacy, mathematical and digital skills. There is also a lack of data on the involvement of people in lifelong learning and the assessment of their competence. The purpose of this study is to determine what needs adults aged 25 to 65 in Kazakhstan have to continue learning, what motivates them to study, what difficulties they encounter along the way and how they overcome them. A qualitative method was used, based on a purposive snowball sample of seven people who were interviewed using a phenomenological approach. All interviews were conducted online, since the participants were from different cities of Kazakhstan. The research data showed that people involved in continuous education have both external and internal factors that influence their decision to continue their education, and internal and external motives help them during the learning process, and their family, managers, colleagues and developed time management skills, financial literacy and delegation help them cope with barriers such as lack of time and finance. The findings can be used to inform policy and practice to encourage and enhance further opportunities to develop continuous education in Kazakhstan.