Motivational priorities of bachelor degree course graduates

Abstract

Introduction. The political and economic changes, along with the technological progress of the last decades, have significantly changed the worldview, value orientations and motivational priorities of young people. Since motivation has a decisive influence on any activity, including learning, it is necessary to understand properly the students’ motivational priorities in order to enhance the efficiency of higher education. Research goal: identifying motivational priorities of bachelor degree course graduates. Materials and methods. The study involved 102 graduate students of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. The method of questioning was used. The event-driven approach and reflexive-type method were used in the research: the respondents independently identified the future events they sought to achieve and the ones they wanted to avoid. The respondents as well ranked these events in terms of importance. The survey was conducted anonymously. Results. The study highlighted some integral constructs – the students’ motivational priorities, with presentation of their substantive content. The six main motivational priorities in the descending order, as to their popularity and importance, are as follows: private life and personal relationships; work and career in organisations; wellbeing; self-actualisation; learning and development; freedom of relocation round the world and own country. Discussion and conclusion. The implemented study has made it possible to empirically establish or confirm some facts that are either not noted by the researchers or are on the periphery of their attention, or are controversial. The high importance of work and career for university graduates has been confirmed; the treatment of financial wellbeing as an auxilary factor, rather than an end in itself, has been confirmed. The presence of motivation towards travelling freely round the country and the world, along with the lack of motivation for healthy lifestyle, has been established. Teachers need to link the learning outcomes in students’ minds with satisfaction of their personal needs and expectations identified during the study. They should draw students’ attention to the fact that education expands opportunities for choice of interesting and well-paid jobs, increases the chance for successful career, promotes one’s social status, extends the opportunities for self-realisation.