Professional development and lifelong learning are essential for enhancing administrative effectiveness in higher education, yet administrators in private institutions often face significant challenges in engaging with these opportunities. This study addresses this gap by examining the motivators and barriers influencing administrators ‘participation in professional development and lifelong learning in private higher education institutions in Shaanxi Province, China. The objectives of this study are: to identify the key motivators and barriers perceived by administrators; to examine the relationship between these factors and administrators’ engagement; and to investigate the moderating role of organizational support. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted, grounded in Adult Learning Theory. The sample consisted of 200 administrators from four private higher education institutions in Xi‘fan, Shaanxi Province, selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from Chen and Yang (2023), Zhang and Liu (2022), and Smith (2021), and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, regression analysis, and moderation analysis using PROCESS macro. The results indicate that motivators are at a moderate level (M=3.41, SD=0.78), barriers are at a relatively high level (M=3.89, SD=0.75), and engagement is at a moderate level (M=3.52, SD=0.80). A significant positive relationship exists between motivators and engagement (r=0.61, p<0.001), and a significant negative relationship between barriers and engagement (r=-0.58, p<0.001). Regression analysis shows that motivators and barriers jointly predict engagement, explaining 44.7% of the variance (R²=0.447). Organizational support significantly moderates the relationship between barriers and engagement, but does not moderate the motivators-engagement relationship. Significant differences were found across position levels and training experience groups. The findings underscore the need for targeted institutional strategies to reduce structural barriers and strengthen organizational support. Future research should employ longitudinal designs to explore causal relationships and incorporate qualitative methods to gain deeper insights into administrators’ lived experiences.
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