Abstract
This article is situated within the Arctic Regions North Norway and North/East Iceland. It
presents a study on what motivates adults in Arctic regions to apply for and complete a
Master’s degree in Education. Motivation is examined in relation to distance, transport options
and degree completion times, focusing on whether distance and transport options were
significant motivation factors for students in the Arctic regions. Data is based around two
Master’s degree programmes, one at the University of Akureyri in Iceland and the other in
Alta, at the Arctic University of Norway. All students who had completed the Master’s degree
programme in Akureyri and Alta respectively were invited to take part in a questionnaire
distributed to students’ email addresses. The results are introduced in terms of distance and
travel time and the reason for choice of university.
The findings indicate that difficult weather conditions do not negatively affect students’
learning processes as the students seem rather to take these conditions and circumstances
for granted. The students are driven by intrinsic motivation such as determination,
relatedness and coping and their motivation is thus directed by ownership of the decision; a
significant decision that also affects their partner and their children.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 87-107 |
Journal | Education in the North |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 1-2 |
Publication status | Published - 11 Aug 2018 |
Other keywords
- Arctic regions
- Education
- Adults
- Motivation
- Rural