Motivation and Obstacles to Adult Participation in Lifelong Learning Programs: The Effect of Gender and Age

The main purpose of this research paper is to identify all those parameters that are factors of motivation and obstruction in the participation of the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes in lifelong learning programs. Issues pertaining to adult education are addressed through the statements of the respondents to enhance this objective, while there is an attempt to identify differentiated parameters among people of different gender and age. Following the analysis of the respondents' statements, it was found that learning is to a great extent considered by the inhabitants of the island to be a stepping stone to overcome all sorts of difficulties they may encounter. Regarding the differences in age and gender statements, it is found that the most significant differences relating to the reasons for motivation are attributed to social and environmental grounds whereas in terms of the obstruction reasons statistically significant differences are found regarding the financial and work-related ones. These conclusions differ significantly with respect to the demographic characteristics of the sample, which in itself highlights the complexity of this issue and calls for further study and research.