International Students’ Motivation to Study Abroad: An Empirical Study Based on Expectancy-Value Theory and Self-Determination Theory
Push-pull theory, consumer decision-making models and rational choice theory are commonly used to explain international student mobility (ISM). Despite their merits, the individual’s motivation to study abroad is ignored. Based on two motivation theories—expectancy-value theory (EVT) and self-determ...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.841122/full |
| _version_ | 1811271678781554688 |
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| author | Yun Yue Jinjin Lu Jinjin Lu |
| author_facet | Yun Yue Jinjin Lu Jinjin Lu |
| author_sort | Yun Yue |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Push-pull theory, consumer decision-making models and rational choice theory are commonly used to explain international student mobility (ISM). Despite their merits, the individual’s motivation to study abroad is ignored. Based on two motivation theories—expectancy-value theory (EVT) and self-determination theory (SDT), this study examines whether students’ intention to study abroad originates from the students themselves or compromises social pressure and how the external factors defined in push-pull theory work with these motivations to affect their decision-making. A quantitative study was conducted with a sample size of 736 international students in China. The findings show that the decision to study abroad is a highly subjective and intrinsically driven behavior in which realizing one’s self-worth or fulfilling one’s purpose of life plays the most significant role. Making a decision needs a “cost-benefits calculus,” but the utility value of study abroad was positioned behind attainment value and identified motivation. The heterogeneity of international students’ motivation was also differentiated by both their gender and their parents’ educational backgrounds. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T22:24:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-987d4ef472ff48a3bd111235a000c686 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T22:24:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-987d4ef472ff48a3bd111235a000c6862022-12-22T03:14:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-03-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.841122841122International Students’ Motivation to Study Abroad: An Empirical Study Based on Expectancy-Value Theory and Self-Determination TheoryYun Yue0Jinjin Lu1Jinjin Lu2School of Education, Torrens University Australia, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaCollege of Humanities and Social Sciences, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung, TaiwanSchool of Education, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, AustraliaPush-pull theory, consumer decision-making models and rational choice theory are commonly used to explain international student mobility (ISM). Despite their merits, the individual’s motivation to study abroad is ignored. Based on two motivation theories—expectancy-value theory (EVT) and self-determination theory (SDT), this study examines whether students’ intention to study abroad originates from the students themselves or compromises social pressure and how the external factors defined in push-pull theory work with these motivations to affect their decision-making. A quantitative study was conducted with a sample size of 736 international students in China. The findings show that the decision to study abroad is a highly subjective and intrinsically driven behavior in which realizing one’s self-worth or fulfilling one’s purpose of life plays the most significant role. Making a decision needs a “cost-benefits calculus,” but the utility value of study abroad was positioned behind attainment value and identified motivation. The heterogeneity of international students’ motivation was also differentiated by both their gender and their parents’ educational backgrounds.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.841122/fullinternational student mobilityexpectancy-value theoryself-determination theorypush-pull theorymotivation |
| spellingShingle | Yun Yue Jinjin Lu Jinjin Lu International Students’ Motivation to Study Abroad: An Empirical Study Based on Expectancy-Value Theory and Self-Determination Theory Frontiers in Psychology international student mobility expectancy-value theory self-determination theory push-pull theory motivation |
| title | International Students’ Motivation to Study Abroad: An Empirical Study Based on Expectancy-Value Theory and Self-Determination Theory |
| title_full | International Students’ Motivation to Study Abroad: An Empirical Study Based on Expectancy-Value Theory and Self-Determination Theory |
| title_fullStr | International Students’ Motivation to Study Abroad: An Empirical Study Based on Expectancy-Value Theory and Self-Determination Theory |
| title_full_unstemmed | International Students’ Motivation to Study Abroad: An Empirical Study Based on Expectancy-Value Theory and Self-Determination Theory |
| title_short | International Students’ Motivation to Study Abroad: An Empirical Study Based on Expectancy-Value Theory and Self-Determination Theory |
| title_sort | international students motivation to study abroad an empirical study based on expectancy value theory and self determination theory |
| topic | international student mobility expectancy-value theory self-determination theory push-pull theory motivation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.841122/full |
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