This study investigates issues of disengagement and re-engagement in education of adult learners within a second chance learning context in Fiji by comparing the motivational influences of adults who ‘re-engaged’ via the “Matua Program” and adults who chose not to return to school. A mixed method approach was adopted. Participants included adult early school leavers who were not engaged in second chance education and those that chose to enrol with the program. The initial Veitalanoa (qualitative) phase involved 15 participants, the survey 300 participants and Talanoa phase 10 participants. The survey and talanoa instruments were finalised once the veitalanoa phase was completed. The dataset contains transcripts from interviews and the SPSS data worksheets of quantitative survey data. Data contains some sensitive content that can be conditionally shared. The quantitative data includes participant responses to the following instruments; Values Beliefs Scale, General Self Efficacy Scale, Academic Self- Efficacy, Academic Resilience Scale, Achievement Emotion Questionnaire, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Individualism-Collectivism Scale. Contact the principal author Sainiana Rika S.Rika@westernsydney.edu.au ORCID 0009-0009-0604-6652