Stay on or drop out? The role of identities in continued participation at technical college in Australia

Abstract

Identities extend standard models that explain student motivations to complete courses at technical college. A differential hypothesis was that profiles of identities (individuality, belonging and place) explain the self-concepts and task values that contribute to participation, considering demographic factors (age, gender, location, paid work). The participants (Study 1, N = 406; Study 2, N = 225) were adolescents (36%, 36%), young adults (46%, 48%) and adults (18%, 16%). Study 1 confirmed the reliable and distinct identities of individuality, belonging and place. In Study 2, individuality and belonging influenced self-concepts, belonging at work/college and local identity of place influenced self-concepts and task values. These identities were typically common across demographic factors, and self-concepts and task values contributed to staying on to complete courses at technical college. In conclusion, in addition to key demographic factors, the differentiated identities add meaning to the standard expectancy-value models of student motivation to participation in learning. © eContent Management Pty Ltd.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Identities Australian technical colleges Belonging and place Individuality Motivation for young adults Self-concepts and task values

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations

Watervale Systems, Sydney, NS, Australia

Funding & Acknowledgements

Australian Research Council, ARC

To the college students and staff for their willing participation and insightful comments, and in particular to Ian Fisher, Jill Gientzotis, Marjorie O’Loughlin, Anna Piccolo, Cassandra Graham, Annette Sartor, Bronwyn Birdsall, Lesley Russell, Bree Hulme, Madeline Parnell and colleagues for constructive discussions and for assistance with fieldwork. The project was funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant.

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Stay on or drop out? The role of identities in continued participation at technical college in Australia

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