The Role of the Social Sciences When Choosing University Studies: Motivations in Life Stories

Abstract

The motivations that lead students to decide on a study modality or on a university degree provide relevant information to improve teaching–learning processes. This work addresses the question regarding the choice of study through analysis of four particular cases. They are special because the individuals chose their studies according to reasons different from the usual ones. To study these cases, interviews were carried out with the individuals. The results were subsequently analyzed according to a qualitative methodology using WebQDA software. The aim was to distinguish the incidence of internal and external motivations when choosing studies. The results obtained represent a contradiction with other pieces of research that analyzed the incidence of these types of motivations for choosing studies and allow for the assessment of various factors that may influence this process. The results obtained in this research indicate that the participants presented a high incidence of internal motivation. This allows for establishing some conclusions about the nature of those motivations when compared with the standard ones referred to in other works that dealt with a general population. The results reveal that in the subjects of this study’s sample, there is a higher incidence of internal motivational factors, such as vocation, while in other subjects, external factors predominate, such as socioeconomic position.

Educating for Participatory Citizenship in the Social Sciences Classroom: A Practical Experience

“…Regarding the acquisition of competence learning related to democratic participation, the results obtained reveal a development in the acquisition of participation and democracy competences in students of the sample. This development continues along the lines described in other studies (Corrales et al, 2021b;Guannipa-Ramírez et al, 2019;Rojas & Suárez, 2020;Torres, 2001), allowing us to conclude that the subjects chosen are adequate for the development of the competencies required.…”

“…Considering the characteristics of the sources and the research data, the application of a qualitative methodology was considered as the ideal analysis procedure (Kornblit, 2007;Loayza 2020). The objective of using this methodology is to be able to detect the aspects in the evolution of the vision that the students have about a series of conceptual cores linked to the curricular contents and the main purposes of the research (Corrales et al, 2021b). For this analysis, the WebQDA software (Souza et al, 2016), specialized in qualitative analysis, was used.…”

Gamification and the History of Art in Secondary Education: A Didactic Intervention

“…Thus, as can be seen in the enrollment statistics for university entrance exams, only three percent opt for the arts modality and ten percent usually enroll in the optional subject of Art History [25]. This, at the same time, leads to difficulties for the development of the teaching of Art History at the university level [26,27]. Among the factors that affect these choices, we find the vision that the student has about the usefulness of knowledge or its possibilities for practical application.…”

Exploring the Factors that Influence University Selection: Insights from College Students

“…Understanding these individuals' motivations might help one understand the issue from a different perspective and provides crucial knowledge for advancing many knowledge areas in education. With the help of this methodology, one can understand the specifics and intricacies of the decision-making process of the study (Corrales Serrano et al, 2021). Making the incorrect choice, on the other hand, can have two serious repercussions: either the student must start over on a different course and be able to manage the time delay involved, or they must altogether drop out of school, which can have severe repercussions (Areces Martnez, & Rodrguez Muiz, 2022).…”