Objectives:
The purpose of this article is to identify factors associated with learning in the Penitentiary Studies within full-time Bachelor's and Master's programmes for Prison Service officers in candidate service at the Academy of Justice. The study aims to examine the relationships between variables distinguished through factor analysis.

Material and methods:
The research was conducted using the diagnostic survey method and statistical–comparative analyses. In line with the adopted methodological framework, the questionnaire technique was applied. The research instrument consisted of a questionnaire designed by the author.

Results:
The analysis identified four principal factors associated with learning. The first factor, termed "Orientation toward Personal Development", accounts for 14.06% of the total variance. The second factor, labelled "Striving for Personal Success", explains 5.98% of the variance. The third factor, defined as "Maximization of Self-Interest", accounts for 4.85% of the variance. The fourth factor, referred to as "Individual Activity", explains 4.74% of the variance. The results indicate a weak correlation between the factors "Orientation toward Personal Development" and "Striving for Personal Success." A similarly weak correlation was observed between "Orientation toward Personal Development" and "Maximization of Self-Interest".

Conclusions:
Although a substantial proportion of variance (nearly 18.8%) is explained by factors reflecting intrinsic motivation for learning, this finding should be interpreted with caution. Intrinsic motivation alone may not provide a sufficiently reliable foundation for formal education, particularly with regard to the implementation of structured curricula. Learners motivated by internal factors may tend to neglect certain institutional or curricular obligations.