From Consideration to Commitment: Factors in Adults' Decisions to Enroll in a Higher Education Degree Program.

Autor: Stein, DavidS., Wanstreet, Constance, Trinko, LynnA.
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Continuing Higher Education; May-Jul2011, Vol. 59 Issue 2, p68-76, 9p
Abstrakt: This study identified factors associated with the decision to enroll in a higher education degree program. In the context of predicting enrollment in a workforce development credentialing program, this study identified six variables that are strongly related to the likelihood to enroll: time out of school; possibilities for intellectual, personal, and career opportunities; institutional support; synchronizing learning and earning; reflective learner; and match with an academic reputation. Results suggest that enrollment is the result of an interaction among situational, occupational, and institutional factors rather than primarily a desire or need to acquire knowledge as a commodity. The decision to enroll in a long-term commitment is a negotiated activity in which self-interests are balanced among various other interests, including the employer, family, friends, and identity as a learner. This study contributes to the literature by suggesting that time out of school is strongly related to the decision to enroll. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index