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The Push-Pull Model of Motivation: An Analysis of Chinese Polytechnic Students’ Motivation to Pursue Degree Completion in Canada

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Part of the book series: Perspectives on Asian Tourism ((PAT))

Abstract

This study applied a push-pull model of motivation to analyse push-pull factors that support and encourage a student at a Chinese Polytechnic to continue his or her studies in Canada at a Canadian university. Without first understanding the push-pull factors that impact student motivations, institutions may find their international twinning agreements are less successful than anticipated. A survey was shared in-class, in Years 1, 2 and 3 in a Chinese Polytechnic, with 202 students (100%) completing the survey. The study suggested that, at this Chinese Polytechnic, the tourism and hospitality diploma students are not primarily motivated by applied studies in tourism and hospitality; furthermore, only 10% of students reported a desire to continue degree studies in China or Canada. These findings present significant implications for the future viability of the twinning programme arrangement. Student data on push-pull factors provide useful knowledge about motivational influences that can, in turn, support decision-making and recruitment forecasting between transnational higher education partners. In particular, this study contributes to our understanding of the micro-level push-pull factors that affect student motivation to continue offshore studies in one specific agreement context.

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Correspondence to Eugene Thomlinson .

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Thomlinson, E., Wilson-Mah, R. (2019). The Push-Pull Model of Motivation: An Analysis of Chinese Polytechnic Students’ Motivation to Pursue Degree Completion in Canada. In: Liu, C., Schänzel, H. (eds) Tourism Education and Asia. Perspectives on Asian Tourism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2613-4_12

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