Stay on or drop out? The role of identities in continued participation at technical college in Australia

Abstract

Identities extend standard models that explain student motivations to complete courses at technical college. A differential hypothesis was that profiles of identities (individuality, belonging and place) explain the self-concepts and task values that contribute to participation, considering demographic factors (age, gender, location, paid work). The participants (Study 1, N = 406; Study 2, N = 225) were adolescents (36%, 36%), young adults (46%, 48%) and adults (18%, 16%). Study 1 confirmed the reliable and distinct identities of individuality, belonging and place. In Study 2, individuality and belonging influenced self-concepts, belonging at work/college and local identity of place influenced self-concepts and task values. These identities were typically common across demographic factors, and self-concepts and task values contributed to staying on to complete courses at technical college. In conclusion, in addition to key demographic factors, the differentiated identities add meaning to the standard expectancy–value models of student motivation to participation in learning.

Keywords:

• individuality
• belonging and place
• identities
• self-concepts and task values
• motivation for young adults
• Australian technical colleges