Adult learners’ motivation to participate and perception of online and blended environments.

Adult learners are an important segment of learners in online or blended learning (OBL) environments. But at the same time, this group is very heterogeneous with regard to (1) the digital skills which are diverse due to different ages or previous educational opportunities and can lead to different perceptions of working in OBL environments, and (2) the motives to enroll and persist in adult education which can be influenced by previous work and life experiences. Therefore, the present study aims to identify the learner diversity by applying the self-determination theory (SDT) of Deci and Ryan (2000) in order to explore their motives to participate in adult education. Next, this study also examined the perceptions of learners to learn in OBL environments. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on nine semi-structured interviews. The participants were adult learners enrolled in an OBL program in an adult education center in Flanders, Belgium. The adult learners indicate that the face-to-face moments are highly valued because they can learn more and better this way. However, sometimes they prefer distance moments since the content can sometimes be learned independently. Furthermore, the participants agreed on the practical benefits of OBL and the difficulty of working in groups, and provided tips to be successful in OBL environments. Regarding the motives to enroll and persist in adult education, the adult learners generally participate to be able to continue their current job, to have an alternative job possibility, or because they want a new job. The current study informs institutions and teachers about the motives of adults to participate in adult education and their experienced benefits or challenges in OBL. This is relevant since it gives an indication of components to be attentive to or to work on in online and blended adult education, specifically when trying to meet the needs of the adult learners.