Introduction
Whatever aims one may have after completing their period in the University, the education is important in helping to open doors for them in areas that would otherwise be impossible without a degree. When one gets into the university, it is believed that this is one of the crucial stages of their professional development and lays down the groundwork for their success in the future. Whether it is at the stage of enrolling in the university to get their first degree or around the end of the student’s education, most students will likely keep an eye on their main aims or goals that they hope to attain the long run (Peterson, 2012). The reason for attending the university in the first place can spark the required motivation in the student on days that one may find that they are struggling with their academic performance in school to ensure that they maintain the required level of performance to meet their goals at the end of their period in school.
Goals are important in almost every aspect of our lives as humans as they offer a plan to determine the outcome of the work we put up and a means by which to measure the level of success that comes from the hard work that one puts in their education in the university. Right from a young age, most people are often working towards something through their education. This paper is a review of some of the common research theories that help explain the aims that most students often have on completion of the university and some of the common motivators for them to work hard in school. Three main theories will be considered in the review, which includes Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, self-determination theory, and the goal orientation theory.
Literature Review
The aims that the student may have at the end of the period in the university will vary depending on the needs of the student. In other cases, students join the University hoping that the degree that they attain at the end of the program will help them make some form of difference in the community. This is especially true for students who may come from poor backgrounds and thus, see the need to work and be empowered to make a difference in the lives of others in the society who may require their help. The aims that the student may have at the end of the period in the university will vary depending on the needs of the student. In other cases, students join the University hoping that the degree that they attain at the end of the program will help them make some form of difference in the community.
This is especially true for students who may come from poor backgrounds and thus, see the need to work and be empowered to make a difference in the lives of others in the society who may require their help. For others, it is simply the joy and happiness that they get to experience at the end of the period knowing that they have made some form of achievement can a finally talk of having a degree like others in the society. They do not have a long-term goal at the start of the decision to pursue a degree in the particular field other than the fact that they are hoping to reach a particular level as others have in the past. Lastly, there are those who pursue the degrees based on the pressure that they face from their families about the need to earn a degree as it what is expected of them. Whichever the case, it is evident that everyone has some aim that they hope to achieve at the completion of their period in the university.
Most past research shows evidence that most of the students who join the university do so hoping that at the end of the program they can get an opportunity of starting a career with good pay. Rouillard (2003) argues that this seems to be the main motivating factor for most students who strive to be better than others in the class and work to come out at the top of the class. The students believe that with a good degree, they get a competitive advantage when they go put on the market in search of employment. Additionally, most students believe that if they perform well, they get an opportunity to bargain with the employers given that they may have the right skills required to perform the particular tasks better than other aspirants in the playing field. It is evident that ultimately after University education, most of the graduates hope that they can get a well-paying job that will help improve their standards of living.
One theory that has been suggested to provide an explanation for the idea of students setting aims on completing their course at the university is the self-determination theory. The theory suggests that people are motivated to change and grow courtesy of their innate psychological needs. The first assumption of this theory is that all humans are driven by the need to grow. This implies that the period spent in the university in the study is inevitably leading to something better after the completion at the university. One cannot be at the university without an aim or something that the student aims to achieve with the education and skills that they may have acquired at the end of the period they spent in the university. In the case of students who may be pursuing a second degree, the greater knowledge that they are likely to gain at the end of the second degree acts as a motivating factor.
This theory, unlike the others which imply that people are motivated by the external rewards such as money, acclaim, and other prizes, states that people are likely to be motivated by internal factors such as personal independence and the possibility of gaining new skill or knowledge in the particular area. According to the theory, there are three main feelings that one must experience before they can feel some level of psychological growth which includes competence, connection and autonomous. Competence ensures that some is able to master some new skill or task in their life to feel some level of growth.
Connection, on the other hand, means that individuals in the community need to feel a certain level of attachment or connectedness with others in the society. Lastly, autonomous is the need that people have to feel in control of their goals and behaviors. When an individual feels these three main things, they get the motivation to work towards whatever they have set out to attain in life. At the end of the period that one spends in the university earning the degree in their field of specialty, they are likely to have experienced these three things and thus the motivation that they require to attain the aims that they may have at the end of their education.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
The other theory brought that can help one understand the motivation for students in the academic setting would be Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The theory was coined by Maslow, who believed that people had a set of motivation systems that went beyond the rewards that one would likely get from performing a particular task and the unconscious desires that one may have. Wehmeyer (2003) posits that as humans we are motivated to achieve certain particular needs in life, and when one need has been achieved, we move to the next one. He came up with a model that comprised of five main stages showing the levels that one moves through in life as they work towards achieving their needs. These include the basic needs which are psychological, safety, esteem and love and the growth need which is the last stage in the model known as self-actualization. The basic needs exist to motivate people to work towards them until they are met.
One cannot deny themselves these needs and the more they deny them, the stronger the need grows. After the attainment of these needs, one finally set out to pursue the goals that will ensure that they reach the point of self-actualization through growth. Acquiring a degree in a particular field could be seen as an esteem need. Once one gains the degree, they will get self-respect from others in the community, they will have mastered skills or have the ability to Performa a particular task with ease, and the degree will also come with the guarantee of some level of prestige in the society (Wehmeyer, 2003). Looking at the case of the students who aim at the completion of the degree is seen as an achievement and a level of prestige given that others in the community are yet to earn a degree, this gives on the view that this research theory perfectly fits on the idea of esteem needs. This is also applicable to those aiming to get a good job on completion of their degree in the university.
After attainment of this need with the attainment of the degree, the student can then set on the path to pursue their need of self-actualization. This is important in ensuring that they are able to achieve some level of personal growth, self-fulfillment and the ability to finally realizing their full potential in their career. However, one is bound to experience setbacks from time to time that will inevitably imply that they move irregularly in the model of the hierarchy of needs. Although one may make some achievements in life, there are bound to be drawbacks that will imply that they cannot reach the level of self-actualization all through their lives.
Goal Orientation Theory
Lastly, Schoenfeld (2011), argues that the goal orientation theory is the other main theory that could be sued to explain the student’s behavior when looking at the motivation and aims that the student may have at the completion of their degree in college. The theory suggests that individuals always have a goal for partaking in a given activity. The goals set by the person could be task oriented or ego oriented. For those whose goal is task oriented, the main motivation that the individual will have for pursuing the particular tasks is to master the task over time as they engage in the activity over time. This offers a good explanation for students whose aim at the end of the period at the university in an advancement in their career or getting a well-paying job.
Additionally, people who are looking to secure jobs in a particular field also fall under this category. When the goals are ego oriented, the primary motivation that the individual may have for pursuing the given task is to ensure that they are better than others in performing the task. This implies that the main motivation for pursuing the goal or aim is fueled by the idea of competition. This particularly applies to students who may be pursuing their degree hoping that at the end of the career, they have a competitive advantage based on the skills that they acquired and stand a better chance than others at securing a position in a well-paying job (Schoenfeld, 2012).
Conclusion
Irrespective of the aim that one may have while in the university, it is evident that in the end all the paths lead to the idea of securing a well-paying job that guarantees an improvement in the standard of living. As one starts the journey to pursuing their graduate degree, it is important to note that this qualifies as the very first step towards their professional development. The aims that students have upon completion of their graduate study will vary depending on the student’s personal feelings and the background as well given that it has been found also to play an important role in the decision that one makes to join the university. Understanding the various theories can be an important way through which to help one to understand the aims that most students have at the end of the period that they spend in the university.
References
Peterson, C. H. (2012). How to get there from here-- the ten lessons that have served me well. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse.
Rouillard, L. (2003). Goals and goal setting: Achieving measured objectives. Menlo Park, CA: Crisp Learning.
Schoenfeld, A. H. (2011). How we think: A theory of goal-oriented decision making and its educational applications. New York: Routledge.
Wehmeyer, M. L. (2003). Theory in self-determination: Foundations for educational practice. Springfield, Ill: C.C. Thomas.
