https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6422-5028
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ABSTRACT
In this paper we have investigated students’ motivations for undertaking a full degree abroad. It examines how motivations can be categorised, and if this varies according to gender, social origin, field of study and mobility capital (previous experience of living abroad or parents who have done so). The analyses are based on a survey of Norwegian students abroad, containing information from more than 4100 respondents. The three underlying dimensions of motivations identified are “Exploration”, “Pragmatism” and “Differentiation”, indicating that the traditional division between push and pull motivation is too simplistic. “Exploration”, the most strongly accentuated dimension, is particularly prominent among female students. “Pragmatism” is highly important for students enrolled in long, professional programmes with strict admission restrictions in Norway, such as medicine. “Differentiation” is more emphasised by students with high mobility capital. In general, motivations are more likely to vary according to field of study than sociodemographic factors, but mobility capital also exerts a substantial influence.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Correction Statement
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.
Notes
1. Among students studying in Norway, 56% come from a family with higher education experience, while the corresponding proportion among Norwegian students studying abroad is 85%.
2. To qualify for student loans to study abroad, applicants must be a Norwegian citizen.
3. Following Kieffer (Citation1998) and Finch (Citation2006) we have compared orthogonal rotation to oblique rotation, using Promax. The comparison generates the same factor structure, with similar loadings. According to Finch (Citation2006), when the two rotations “yield similar outcomes, the researcher can rely on the orthogonal solution, but if the results are very different, interpretation based on the oblique rotation is preferred” (Finch, Citation2006, p. 43).
4. As a post hoc-test of the principal axis factor analysis, we have also conducted a CFA and a principal component analysis on the data. As the results were very similar in all three analyses, this indicates that the factor structure we have found is appropriate.