Career success and motivation for lifelong learning: a disaggregated analysis of motivational factors

Introduction This study examines how academic motivation and learning engagement—particularly behaviors associated with self-directed learning—shape the effectiveness of E-learning within lifelong education programs aimed at supporting career development and broader human well-being. The analysis focuses on the interplay between motivation, engagement, and multidimensional career success, including job performance, interpersonal effectiveness, financial achievement, hierarchical advancement, and life satisfaction. Methods Data were collected through an online survey administered to 446 adult learners enrolled in multiple short-course programs at Chiang Mai University’s lifelong learning platform. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess the structural relationships among learning motivation, engagement, and career success, and to test the mediating role of motivation. Results Learners who reported a proactive and self-directed approach to learning consistently achieved higher scores across all five dimensions of career success. In contrast, external motivational strategies, such as rewards or sanctions, showed weak or negative associations. Academic motivation also mediated the influence of several sociodemographic characteristics: female learners and freelancers demonstrated stronger motivation and greater career success, whereas unemployed and highly educated participants reported lower levels. Discussion These findings emphasized how motivational inequalities were shaped by structural and contextual conditions. The study highlighted important lessons for developing lifelong learning policies that are both inclusive and sustainable. It shows that strategies focusing on building intrinsic motivation and giving learners more control over their own learning are likely to be more effective than simply offering rewards or punishments.