15/09/10 Impact of Environmental Factors on Adult Learning

The 4 Environment Factors (demographic factors, psychosocial factors, technological factors, socio-cultural factors)

Demographic factors; career phase & work experience, age.

Psychosocial factors; motivational levels, learning styles, memory lapses, physical surrondings.

Socio-cultural factorsp; societal perceptions about adult learning.

Technological factors; computer literacy, access through IT.

It is most interesting to note that Environmental factors can influence the way one learn or achieve at the work place. The 4 environmental factors, demographic (career phases and age), psychosocial (motivational levels, learning styles, physical), socio-cultural (adult learning, social interaction) and technological (computer literacy) plays an important role in our work experience.

The two environment factors which are more important to me are Demographic and Psychosocial factors. This is when workers bring along their past professional experiences and expectations into the new workplace. Their initial interest and commitment usually covers career opportunity, growth and work responsibilities. As they move on through the years, they will acquire new skills, knowledge and peer support which would be required of them to perform their job competently. As their length of service increases, their sense of belonging and loyalty to the Company also increases. Motivational factors which play these parts are recognition of good works by superior and peers, having a desired goal set and having a strong employment safety net. Incentives (intrinsic and extrinsic) are reinforcement of motivation which the worker would require to fulfill their own individual needs.

The environmental factors can impact on the worker’s Three Dimensions of learning which covers Cognition, Emotions and Sociality. Basing on psychosocial factors (motivational, learning styles and physical surrounding) it falls into the emotion and cognition of a learner which are the core reasons of one’s purpose of inspiration and demographic factors (career phases and age) which falls into the emotional aspect of how one views themselves in terms of achievement in life. Therefore if these two main environment factors are not addressed from the beginning, it will subsequently be a barrier to the learner.