The crucial first year: The development of students' motivation at a Business School - a Mixed Methods Study
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2014-08-20
Author(s)
Abstract
The transition from school to university can be overwhelming for some students. While students' motivation is considered a strong predictor of performance, the development of motivation during students' transition from high school to university has rarely been investigated. Additionally, little is known about the relation of motivational aspects with other influences on study performance. The present mixed methods study addresses this research gap and examines the development of economics students' study motivation. The longitudinal mixed-method study included three waves of data collected using quantitative surveys and a series of five interviews conducted with 14 first-year students over eight months. Regarding students' development over time, the quantitative analysis showed a gradual decline in students' motivation. However, in the interviews, certain events during the first year were identified as critical incidents demotivating students. These insights into the development of students' motivation at a business school show that concrete incidents influence students' motivational development; thus, they could be transformed by structural changes.
Language
English
Keywords
motivation
business school
higher education
latent growth curve model
longitudinal study
mixed methods
interview
students
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
--
Start page
n.pag.
Event Title
SIG4 Higher Education & SIG17 Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Learning and Instruction Earli SIG Conference 2014
Event Location
Leuven
Event Date
20.-22.08.2014
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
235659