The Impact of Future Economic Stability and Family Influence on Students’ Motivation for Higher Education: A Study on IIUM Students

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between future economic stability (FES), family influence (FI) and students’ motivation for higher education (MFHE) based on the perceptions of undergraduate students in IIUM. The questionnaire used was self-developed and piloted with 263 undergraduate students, who were sampled purposely. Content validity, construct validity and – the Cronbach’s alpha for reliability were conducted to validate the instrument. SPSS V25 was used to analyze the data by manipulating the descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings from data analysis indicated that IIUM students held positive perception towards FES, FI and MFHE. The results also revealed a positive and significant relationship between FES, FI and MFHE, and that FES and FI were found to be significant predictors of MFHE. As an implication, higher education institutions as well as parents are urged to support their wards in terms of employment opportunities and continuous parental support, as the impact of future economic stability and family influence have been confirmed in this study as part of the reasons behind students’ motivation for higher education learning.