Teaching staff’s motivational knowledge as a component of professional competence in adult and continuing education: A multi-perspective analysis

Abstract Motivation is considered a central mechanism for participation and persistence in adult and continuing education, yet teaching staff’s motivational knowledge has rarely been conceptualized as a distinct component of professional competence. Drawing on Expectancy-Value Theory, this study examines motivational knowledge and beliefs of adult and continuing education teaching staff and their association with learners’ motivational experiences. A multi-perspective design combines data from 105 adult and continuing education teaching staff and 454 course participants in German adult education centers. Teaching staff’s self-reported motivational knowledge and beliefs were assessed alongside learners’ content-specific subjective task values, course satisfaction and dropout intentions. Descriptive results indicate that teaching staff report high levels of motivational knowledge and attribute strong importance to motivation, particularly for low-qualified learners. At the same time, systematic discrepancies emerge between teaching staff’s assumptions and learners’ motivational evaluations: instructors underestimate intrinsic and attainment value, while overestimating utility value. Structural equation modeling reveals no significant direct associations between teaching staff’s motivational knowledge or beliefs and learners’ motivation. The findings suggest that motivation-related professional competence in adult and continuing education may operate indirectly through instructional practices rather than through direct effects. The study contributes to the conceptualization of professional competence in adult and continuing education and highlights the need for research linking motivational knowledge to instructional quality.