Keyword learning: people think primarily about school and lifelong learning
Almost a third of people in Germany associate “learning” with the term “school”. Other associations include lifelong learning, challenge or stress, knowledge or knowledge acquisition and personal development.
Question: When you think about the topic “learning”, what word first comes to mind?
Open question; grouped; top 12 answers
Reasons for learning: curiosity, job, studies
When asked why they are currently learning, 37.9% of respondents in the IU Learning Report 2024 answered: out of curiosity or interest in new things. Other reasons: 28.9% are learning for their job, 19.3% for their education (university, school, vocational training).
In contrast, this means that 27.9% of people in Germany are currently not learning. The findings are representative of Germany.
Question: For what reason are you currently learning?
What motivates people to learn?
The most frequently cited motivation for learning is: interest and curiosity in a topic. Around a quarter of participants cite the following motivational factors: personal growth, personal goals and vision, and personal success. The aspect of doing something meaningful with what they learn is mentioned almost as often.
Interest and curiosity in a topic
47.3 %
Persönliches Wachstum
26.5 %
Personal goals and vision
26.1 %
Personal success
25.6 %
Something
meaningful to do
24.3 %
Question: What fundamentally motivates you to delve deeper into a topic or learn something new?
Percentage of how often an aspect appears in the top 3; top 5 answers
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Personal interest and curiosity are not only a common reason but also a motivation for people to learn.
The findings confirm that curiosity and a love of learning are powerful intrinsic human drivers, and genuine interest in the subject is essential for sticking with it. Scientifically, this is known as GRIT and represents the 2 Ps “passion and perseverance” – passion for the subject and perseverance in the learning process. The learning curve, i.e. the relationship between the complexity of the learning material and the time required, varies from person to person and is influenced by factors such as motivation, cognitive abilities, learning methods, etc. Ideally, and most sustainably, people learn when they want to and not when they have to.”
Prof. Dr Ulrike Lichtinger
Professor of Social Sciences at IU International University of Applied Sciences and expert in Positive Education
Reasons against: no interest, no motivation to learn
In the IU study, 27.9% of people in Germany stated that they are (currently) not learning. Their reasons are varied – from lack of interest and motivation to lack of time and full calendars. Health problems, stress and financial constraints are also factors in why people are not learning, either currently or at all.
Question: For what reasons are you currently not learning or not learning at all?
Only respondents who are not (currently) learning; top 8 answers
Focus topic
Lifelong learning
The study results show that lifelong learning is important for many people in Germany, with 89.2% saying that lifelong learning is quite or very important to them. The majority of those surveyed also agree on the reasons why. Lifelong learning promotes personal development, boosts job security and adaptability, ensures social participation and mental health.
Definition: Lifelong learning
Lifelong learning means people continuously acquiring knowledge and skills to aid their personal and professional development. Examples of lifelong learning include learning specific skills (e.g. new sports), learning a new language and distance learning.
Lifelong learning is important for 9 out of 10 people in Germany
Question: How important is lifelong learning to you?
5 good reasons for lifelong learning
The vast majority of people in Germany agree with these statements.
Question: Please indicate the extent to which you think these statements apply to lifelong learning.
Only answers “completely agree” and “somewhat agree” on a scale of 1 to 5
Motivation to learn is strongly driven by individual interest and curiosity in the subject. However, personal growth, goals and successes also play a crucial role. To ensure that learners really stick to it, the learning content must be tailored to personal interests and support personal and professional goals.”
Prof. Dr Kristina Schaaff
Professor of Digital Transformation with a focus upon AI at the IU International University of Applied Sciences
