A Phenomenological Study of Motivation in Online Learners and Its Relationship to Self-Awareness

Abstract

Online learner enrollment continues to rise every year, but the retention rate of these students is significantly lower than those enrolled in face-to-face courses. Some of the primary factors that impact online learner retention are motivation and self-regulation. This concept development research was a qualitative inquiry to explore motivation in online learning through the lens of the learner’s experiences. As the object of the study is the lived experience of the participant, a phenomenological paradigm was employed to guide the research. Additionally, the emphasis of this study was to investigate the role self-awareness (cognizance) plays in motivation. An effort to refine this broad topic was exercised, focusing on three specific influential motivators which included interest, metacognition, and inspiration. The goal was to consider the concept of motivational awareness, or cognizant motivation (CM), to determine if online learning is positively impacted and whether this phenomenon is exceptional, universal, or intentional. The conclusions of this study may provide a foundation for future studies to utilize the concept of cognizant motivation (CM) beyond the online learning medium. Future research may include face-to-face learning, industry training, and behavioral science.