Students' motivation for part-time postgraduate studies

Abstract

Rapid expansion of part-time taught postgraduate education in the last two decades in Hong Kong has received little attention from researchers. This study investigated students’ motivation to participate and sustain their participation in part-time taught postgraduate programmes in the field of language and language-education studies. The study collected data from twenty-three part-time students through individual, pair and group interviews. Drawing on the grounded theory, the data were analysed through the use of constant comparative method to identify a thematic system of categories and subcategories and develop a motivational framework.

The study revealed information and insights into both academic and social expectations of participants before their enrolment. In the analysis, the participants were found to have set the goals of academic learning as obtaining qualifications, benefiting current careers, seeking opportunities for future careers, fulfilling self interests, and enjoying learning processes as perpetual students. The social goals of participating in study for recreation and relaxation, and developing professional and social networks were found to be closely related to the academic ones. The participants also selected programmes to achieve an equilibrium point between the expected learning benefits and the foreseen obstacles created by continuing commitments. The selections reflected the extent to which the students considered the value of goals, and the social influence on the pursuit of further studies at the beginning of the study journey. The analysis also identified that the participants’ motivation to sustain their participation in these programmes have been influenced by five factors during the learning process, namely career relevance, personal interest, performance goal setting, self-regulation, and sense of belonging. The academic environment inside the institutions and the social commitments outside that manifested in these aspects interacted to influence the achievement of expected outcomes of the students.

In light of these findings, a motivational framework was enriched to enhance our understanding of part-time postgraduate students’ motivation to embark upon and sustain their participation in academic studies. The study highlights practical learning and emotional inspiration as important motivating elements. It also finds that they were achieved through the formation of an effective learning community among the participants that helped integrate academic learning into the workplace, encourage active peer learning, and stimulate individual initiatives. It suggests that students are likely to be motivated to learn if educators take into account these motivators in designing and organising courses and teaching at the postgraduate level of study. Future research can identify relevant motivating elements in promoting active and effective learning by referring to the institutional academic atmosphere and social impact. In particular, qualitative studies will generate results that help plan for expanding part-time programmes at the doctorate level by drawing upon knowledge about the learning motivation of participants. Additionally, quantitative studies are also needed to assist in exploring the important motivators at the programme and subject levels by designing questionnaires with reference to the findings of this study.