| The purpose of this study was to investigate: (1) the association between motivational orientations and participation in mandatory professional continuing education and (2) the relationship among motivational orientations, participation in mandatory professional continuing education and selected demographic, personal/family, professional and educational opportunity structure variables. Five hundred registered nurses were asked to respond to a two part mailed questionnaire. The Education Participation Scale (Boshier, 1971) was used to determine the respondents' motivational orientations for participation. A researcher developed questionnaire elicited data regarding participation in mandatory professional continuing education, demographic characteristics, and perceived positive and negative influences of selected personal/family, professional and educational opportunity structure variables. The first objective was analyzed by multiple correlations and canonical correlations. Statistically significant multiple correlations were found between motivational orientations and participation when defined as total hours (R = .22), total hours applicable towards a college degree (R = .21) and number of content areas studied (R = .22). A non-significant multiple correlation was found between motivational orientations and number of providers. No significant canonical correlations were found between motivational orientations and type of provider or type of content. The findings were congruent with earlier empirical studies of motivational orientations of adult learners and registered nurses in voluntary educational activities. Factor analysis of data related to the second objective revealed five independent factors (motivational orientations, external influences, professional experience, scientific preparation, and employer) which undergirded reported participation in mandatory professional continuing education. These findings indicate that participation is the result of the dynamic interaction of a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic variables. |
