Motivating International Postgraduate Taught Students – Bridging the Chasm of Student Expectations and Institutional Reality

Abstract

UK Higher Education Institutions allocate significant resources on supporting international students. However, students need to be motivated to take up the offers and engage with their studies. In addition, research has acknowledged that international students could be highly adaptive if motivated. This research, through the perspective of psychological contract, motivation theories and IPMA (importance-performance matrix analysis), aims to explore international postgraduate taught (PGT) student expectations and motivations of studying in a UK business school. It will identify potential gaps before and after students have started studies, look for factors related to their expectations and motivations, compare the impacts of those factors, provide recommendations for student motivation and assisting their adaptation to UK HE criteria. The results will help underpin UK business schools' strategy, policy and priority in marketing, recruitment and teaching delivery, inform services to be more effective in the context of limited resources.