Exploring the determinants of students’ motivation in pursuing a degree in the field of education in the UAE

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to improve its education sector by recruiting qualified and diverse student teachers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the factors affecting student motivation to enroll in colleges of education. Using simple random sampling, a total of 199 consenting students were recruited to participate in this study (154 females and 45 males). The participants were informed about the right to withdraw from the study at any time. Data was analyzed using factor analysis to construct the composite variables for the factors that motivated students to join the College of Education. The results proved a positive correlation between career advancement and personal and social needs. However, the outcomes regarding admission and working conditions were negative. This study revealed significant differences in career advancement, personal, and social needs factors specifically among fourth-year students. Thus, factors affecting students’ motivation must be considered when recruiting in the UAE.

Keywords

• career choice
• education field
• gender differences
• personality traits
• pre-service teachers
• students’ motivation