The purpose of the research was to identify academic motivational factors and influences reported by students in public and private university-level institutions in Kenya. The intent was to provide university educational planners, researchers, administrators, and faculty data about student self-reports of their motivation to pursue undergraduate degrees.
The research instrument was developed in Kenya in collaboration with Kenyan university researchers, faculty, and students. A preliminary open-ended questionnaire solicited student reports of their academic motivational factors and influences. Responses were grouped into 11 categories of academic motivational factors and 15 influences from which a Likert-style questionnaire was developed and administered to 494 students in two public universities and 306 students in nine private university-level institutions. Interviews of 76 students were conducted at eight institutions.
The 800 students participating in the final study were arts or social science majors at the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, or one of nine private Christian university colleges, colleges, or seminaries.
Three research questions asked about public university, private religious university, and combined public and private university student motivation. Data were analyzed according to whether students were beginning or midway through their studies, male or female, had begun studies within two years of completing secondary school, Kenyan or non-Kenyan, and students' parental education achievements.
Data revealed that public and private university students primarily identified with employment-related motivational factors. Concerns for service to the country, their people, and God ranked second, followed by motivation for graduate studies. Social status factors received the lowest scores. Motivational influences were primarily personal motivation, followed by influences from professionals, parents, and students' personal concerns about needs of their country.
Separate analyses of public and private university students showed similar motivation but at different levels of agreement for employment and service-to-others motivation.
The study confirms public assumptions that students seek university degrees to prepare for future careers, but not assumptions that students seek social status or higher living standards.
