Motivaatio, oppimisvaikeudet ja ammatillisten opintojen loppuun suorittaminen

Abstract

This thesis examined how the different motivation profiles and learning difficulties separately and together are associated with graduation from vocational education and training and what perceptions students had about themselves as learners. The results of Study I revealed three different motivational profiles among students. The autonomous profile (28%) was characterized by high autonomic motivation and task orientation. The mixed profile (29%) was characterized as high control motivation and low task orientation. The task-avoidant profile (42%) demonstrated low autonomous and controlled motivation and high task avoidance. Students who showed learning difficulties were included in every profile. However, students showing learning difficulties were statistically overrepresented in the mixed and task-avoidant profiles. Overall, learning difficulties did not have an effect on the association between motivation profiles and on-time completion. Study II examined the graduation of students who had learning difficulties but whose motivation levels differed from each other. The results showed that students with ordinary motivation and no learning difficulties graduated on time. The results also showed that learning difficulties by themselves were not likely to hinder graduation but when combined with low motivation, on-time graduation would be unlikely. Although all the observed students were weakly motivated in studying, their idea of themselves as learners varied from emphasizing own effort in learning to being paralyzed by learning difficulties. Study III examined the motivation sources of the students at risk of dropping out. The most engaged students described two motivation sources: responsible agency and completing out of necessity. Accordingly, when engagement was weak the students spoke about exhaustion from learning challenges or tight roping between completing responsibilities. Emotional drive and social orientation were ambivalent motivation sources, depending on the circumstances.