Established Fiction

Brown, Russell Morton; Bennett, Donna

doi:10.3138/utq.83.2.296

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Student parents not only want to feel socially included and welcomed, but they are also motivated to study in programs and at institutions that are able to meet their needs. Given declining post-secondary enrollment of traditional students (i.e., direct entry from secondary study; see Brown, 2014), post-secondary institutions that are welcoming to diverse populations and offer flexibility in study options and supports may be best situated to deal with these changing demographics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Go Back to School? Investigating the Motivations of Student Parents to Pursue Post-Secondary Education

Rhijn

Lero

Burke

2016

New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development

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This study explored the factors that motivate student parents to pursue post‐secondary education. Student parents at four Canadian universities (n=398) completed open‐ended questions on their reasons for attending school in an online survey. Using Possible Selves Theory as a lens, we conducted a directed content analysis and found that student parents’ motivation to attend school has a strong future orientation. Primary motivators for engaging in post‐secondary study included: to attain a valued job/career, higher education, and inspiration from family. Secondary motivators included: personal development, improvement in lifestyle and income, inspiration from relationships outside the family, the desire to be socially responsible, to overcome physical/mental challenges, and to develop a new hobby. The results indicate that student parents’ reasons for pursuing post‐secondary education are varied and complex; it is therefore important that government and university policymakers are aware of the uniqueness of this population when making decisions on policies and supports.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%