INTERNATIONAL STUDENT MOBILITY TOWARDS SOUTH KOREA: Motivations for Choosing South Korea as a Study Abroad Destination
SON, DAEJOONG (2011)
SON, DAEJOONG
2011
Hallintotiede - Administrative Science
Johtamiskorkeakoulu - School of Management
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2011-11-29
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-21755
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-21755
Tiivistelmä
This study investigates international student mobility toward South Korea in order to identify factors and information sources influencing international students' choice of study abroad destination. It seeks to explain why international students decide to come to South Korea to pursue higher education, to identify variances of the factors influencing the enrollment decision, and to present possible implications for the government and institutions.
A modified synthesis model is used to explain students' decision making process in three distinct stages and to seek various factors that affect the choice of a host country and institution.
The research sample comprised 343 full-time, degree-seeking international students who enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at seven comprehensive universities in South Korea. The quantitative research method is utilized by using a survey questionnaire.
This research reveals that positive pull-factors play the most important role in decisions to study abroad; characteristics of the host nation are considered the most important factor influencing students when selecting South Korea as the host country; and academic pull-factors play the most significant role in choosing a host institution. Additionally, it reveals that factors and information sources for studying at a South Korean institution differ by international student background characteristics such as gender, level of education, economic status of home country, and preference and language of instruction.
This study provides significant implications for South Korean government and its institutions whereby they should pay greater attention to students' background characteristics in order to attract and recruit them. In addition, according to students' backgrounds different approaches such as marketing strategy or internationalization of education should be applied when looking to recruit international students.
Key words: Higher education, International student, Student mobility, Study abroad, Decision making, Motivations, South Korea
A modified synthesis model is used to explain students' decision making process in three distinct stages and to seek various factors that affect the choice of a host country and institution.
The research sample comprised 343 full-time, degree-seeking international students who enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at seven comprehensive universities in South Korea. The quantitative research method is utilized by using a survey questionnaire.
This research reveals that positive pull-factors play the most important role in decisions to study abroad; characteristics of the host nation are considered the most important factor influencing students when selecting South Korea as the host country; and academic pull-factors play the most significant role in choosing a host institution. Additionally, it reveals that factors and information sources for studying at a South Korean institution differ by international student background characteristics such as gender, level of education, economic status of home country, and preference and language of instruction.
This study provides significant implications for South Korean government and its institutions whereby they should pay greater attention to students' background characteristics in order to attract and recruit them. In addition, according to students' backgrounds different approaches such as marketing strategy or internationalization of education should be applied when looking to recruit international students.
Key words: Higher education, International student, Student mobility, Study abroad, Decision making, Motivations, South Korea