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What motivates an ever increasing numbers of students to enroll in part-time taught postgraduate awards?
Citation
Ho, A and Kember, D and Hong, C, What motivates an ever increasing numbers of students to enroll in part-time taught postgraduate awards?, Studies in Continuing Education, 34, (3) pp. 319-338. ISSN 0158-037X (2012) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2012 Taylor and Francis
DOI: doi:10.1080/0158037X.2011.646979
Abstract
There has been a substantial rise in the number of students enrolling in part-time
taught postgraduate awards. This study investigates the reasons or motivation for
students to spend significant amounts on tutorial fees and find time alongside
work, family and social commitments to take a taught postgraduate award. Data
were gathered through interviews with 21 part-time students in taught postgraduate
programmes in Hong Kong. Students all held several motives for
studying, so the outcome was a framework for explaining multiple interacting
motives. Main categories of motivation were related to qualifications, current
career, potential future career, interest, perpetual students and professional and
social networks. Individual students displayed varying degrees of these motivations
and the sub-categories of them. Students were able to specify their needs in
terms of advanced specialised study, so enrolment satisfied a need for continuing
professional development. The rise in taught postgraduate enrolments, in search
of advanced specialised knowledge, seems set to continue as undergraduate
degrees become broader and more attribute-oriented and the knowledge
explosion makes it harder to reach the frontiers of knowledge.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | mass higher education, motivation, part-time study, reason for enrolment, taught postgraduate awards |
Research Division: | Education |
Research Group: | Education systems |
Research Field: | Higher education |
Objective Division: | Education and Training |
Objective Group: | Learner and learning |
Objective Field: | Learner and learning not elsewhere classified |
UTAS Author: | Kember, D (Professor David Kember) |
ID Code: | 84490 |
Year Published: | 2012 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 6 |
Deposited By: | Education |
Deposited On: | 2013-05-15 |
Last Modified: | 2018-04-05 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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