The purpose of this study was to identify the significant motivators and deterrents to participation in formal education by officers of the Salvation Army Southern USA Territory. The study also examined the demographic variables (age, gender, education) and situational variables (position, length of appointment, location, marital status, presence of children in the home) for their relationship to the motivators and deterrents. A determination was made as to whether the variables might be useful in predicting officer participation in formal education. In order to accomplish this, the study examined the characteristics of the officers involved in the study, the situational factors that may relate to participation in education, motivational factors associated with participation, and deterrent factors that may discourage participation in education.

The study described factors related to officer participation in education and made inferences based on statistical analysis of the research data. Specifically, the study was designed to better understand why a greater number of officers do not choose to participate in formal academic education subsequent to their required residency program at the School for Officer Training of Evangeline Booth College. A quantitative methodology was chosen to explore this phenomenon, and the design of the research was cross-sectional, descriptive, and non-experimental study.