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Findings show significant variation mainly around social and family issues, with limited differences when compared to theoretical literature. The most consistent barrier for all age groups is the financial burden placed on learners, alongside classroom realities of shifting student demographics.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exploring-motivational-and-learning-differences-with-mature-students-in-post-secondary-education/598635/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/exploring-motivational-and-learning-differences-with-mature-students-in-post-secondary-education/598635.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"awa","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":24},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What was the main purpose of the study?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"To examine motivational and learning differences among age cohorts attending post-secondary education, especially mature students.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How many participants and campuses were included?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Respondents came from six New Brunswick Community College campuses, with a total of 251 participants.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What barrier affected learners regardless of age?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Financial burden on the learner was identified as the largest barrier to post-secondary education across age groups.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},598635,1792898852,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":24,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":29,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},3985747858093,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2","31  \nExploring Motivational and Learning Differences With Mature Students in Post-Secondary Education  \nWilliam C. Murray, Leslie Smith, & Keith Nielson  \nNew Brunswick Community College  \nThis study examines the differences that exist among various age cohorts attending a post-secondary educational institution. Respondents were from the New Brunswick Community College’s six separate campuses (n=251). Significant differences were found to exist predominantly around social and family issues. Although differences did appear based on age groupings, a small amount of variation appeared when compared with theoretical literature. The largest barrier to post-secondary education that existed, regardless of age, was the financial burden placed upon the learner.  \nIntroduction  \nThe authors of this study, as educators and stu  \ndents respectively in post-secondary education, shine a light on the motivational and learning needs of mature students in the community college system. In classrooms across the country, there is a visible shift in the age of students returning to study, noted experientially by the authors and within the national media (Tamburri, 2009) . When coupled with a reduced number of younger students, related directly to lower birthrates over the last 20 years, educators are facing new challenges when developing and managing the learning environment.  \nThe motivational issues among student groups gains more salience when the increase in the number of mature students returning to college  \nfor retraining is blended with a continually shrinking pool of younger students. This research seeks to unpack some of the motivational and learning differences that exist for mature students, results that may very well transfer throughout post-secondary educational systems. As Lowy (2007) stated,“the flipside of every dilemma is the opportunity for insight”(p. 86) . Although the differences among age cohorts may present a dilemma for educations, there is also a great opportunity to learn and adapt.  \nChanging Student Demographics  \nPost-secondary education continues to be an attractive option for people searching for employment, whether  \na new job or a better job. This is reinforced by James Knight, President of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges: “a college diploma or applied degree is a ticket to a job”(Tamburri, 2009). The training supplied by colleges, when combined with recognized credentials, is a very attractive combination to those who are without work. The attraction is drawing older students seeking skill upgrading and retraining, changing the face of learners in post-secondary education throughout North America. In fact, mature students are enrolling at a faster rate than the traditional high school target audience (Tamburri, 2009) .  \nThe change in demographics of our learners brings into question many of the traditional assumptions made by educators of students in higher education programs. As learners ourselves, the authors have firsthand experiences with the changing educational pressures faced by different age cohorts. Research has been done that theoretically explores both internal and external factors influencing the learning experience of different student age-cohorts (Bamber & Tett, 2000; O’Donnell & Tobbell, 2007) . O’Donnell and Tobbell (2007) reinforce the differences by age group of learners, specifically around varying career experiences, family situations, and prior educational experiences.  \nAdditionally, for the mature or “non-traditional” student group, the learning environment may seem alien and may require a larger amount of negotiated change to the external environment. Bamber and Tett’s (2000) work highlights that non-traditional students hold a very different disposition towards their learning, with a stronger focus on practical skill outcomes as they progress through their professional upgrading. These sentiments are reinforced by Lundberg (2003) who suggests adult student performance is b","cbCaivRBrQWIWsMi","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivRBrQWIWsMi","pdf",520426,"English","# Introduction\n# Changing Student Demographics\n# Project Development\n# Studying the Students","[{\"question\":\"What was the main purpose of the study?\",\"answer\":\"To examine motivational and learning differences among age cohorts attending post-secondary education, especially mature students.\"},{\"question\":\"How many participants and campuses were included?\",\"answer\":\"Respondents came from six New Brunswick Community College campuses, with a total of 251 participants.\"},{\"question\":\"What barrier affected learners regardless of age?\",\"answer\":\"Financial burden on the learner was identified as the largest barrier to post-secondary education across age groups.\"}]","Exploring Motivational and Learning Differences With Mature Students in Post-Secondary Education | PDF",1792087297,15]