Journal of University Studies

Journal of University Studies

A sociological study of Tehran university students' attitudes towards academic degrees

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors
1 Associate Professor in Department of Women and Family Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
2 Professor, School of International Liberal Studies, Faculty of International Research and Education, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract
Nowadays, acquiring educational degrees has a significant impact on various aspects of individuals' lives. Young people face tough competition to obtain an academic degree. This research aims to investigate whether students perceive educational attainment as a factor in improving and enhancing different dimensions of their lives, and whether they consider it influential on their economic, social, family, and personal growth. This study was conducted using a cross-sectional and quantitative approach, utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire among a sample of 559 male and female students from 12 universities in Tehran. After collecting the data, the questionnaire was analyzed using SPSS software. To examine the relationship between gender, marital status, university, and field of study as independent variables, and students' attitudes toward the impact of attainment of degrees as the dependent variable, the findings indicate that although there is no significant relationship between gender and students' perception of educational attainment which is gender-neutral, married students consider the degree more influential in improving their economic, social, family, and personal dimensions. The results of the ANOVA test also showed differences between students' attitudes in different universities regarding the potential of educational attainment to help them find well-paid suitable jobs. Additionally, the influence of educational attainment on social abilities, social acceptance, and social class enhancement was evaluated differently. Students in humanities fields had a different assessment regarding the impact of the degree on enhancing their life dimensions. Students believe that self-confidence, self-satisfaction, independence, better marriage, improved family and spouse relationships, and parental satisfaction are among the variables that can be achieved through educational attainment. The results indicate that students' attitudes toward educational attainment are influenced by various factors, and these relationships can vary based on marital status, university, and the field of study.
Keywords

Subjects


Abbasnejad, T., Bahri, S., & Baneshi, E. (2019). Studying the effect of continuing education on job performance and perceived career success. Journal of Sustainable Human Resource Management1(1), 52-31. doi: 10.22080/SHRM.2019.2355
Adams, Jr., & Richard, H. (2003). International Migration, Remittances and the Brain Drain: A Study of 24 Labor Exporting Countries, World Bank, Development Research Group, Working Paper Series, June.
Aeini, B., Moosavand, M., Heidari, A., & Sabbar, S. (2023). Respecting Employee Privacy and Professional Productivity: a Grounded Theory Study in Iran. Cadernos de Educação Tecnologia e Sociedade, 16(4), 1268-1279. doi: 10.14571/brajets.v16.n4.1268-1279
Afrasiabi H., & Khoobyari F. (2016).  Student identity and its related factors among students in Yazd Universities. IRPHE, 21(4), 1-19. (In Persian)
Albarracı´n, D. & Johnson, B. T. (2018). Handbook of Attitudes: Basic Principles (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
Albarracı´n, D., & Shavitt, S. (2018). Attitudes and Attitude Change. Annual Review of Psychology, 69, 299–327.
Arasteh, H, R. Behrangi, M.R., & Sharifi Hosseinabadi, M. (2011). Investigating the effective factors in the decision of fourth year high school students to continue their studies at the university. Higher education in Iran, 4(4), 1-24. (In Persian)
Babaei Fard, A., & Heidarian, A. (2013). Study of some social factors affecting domestic violence. Women and Society, 4(20), 35-52. (In Persian)
Benson, G., Finegold, D. & Mohrman, S. (2004). You paid for the skills, now keep them: Tuition reimbursement and voluntary turnover. Academy of Management Journal, 47, 315–331.
Falahati, L. (2013). Quality of College Life (QCL) of Students: A Study among Tehran and Kurdestan College Students. Journal of Iranian Cultural Research6(3), 151-172. (In Persian)
Fang, W. et al. (2018). Relationships between optimism, educational environment, career adaptability and career motivation in nursing undergraduates: A cross-sectional study. Nurse Education Today, 68, 33-39.
Fazeli, Z. Fazeli Bavand Pour, Fs Rezaee Tavirani, M. Mozafari, M. Haidari Moghadam, R. (2013). Professional ethics and its role in the medicin, Ilam University of Medical Science, 20(4), 10-17.  (In Persian)
Ghaderi R, Dastjerdi R, Sorush Z, Mouhebati M. (2003) Influential factors in medical students` attitudes towards studying medicine in 2002. Iranian Journal of Medical Education; 3(2): 47 -55. (In Persian)
Gutman, J., & Miaoulis, G. (2003). Communicating a quality position in service delivery: An application in higher education. Journal of Managing Service Qualit, (2)13, 105-111.
Habibi Kleiber, Ramin (2014). The Relationship between Perception of the Quality of Classroom Structure and Academic Performance of Students of Shahid Madani University of Azerbaijan, The First National Conference on Sustainable Development in Educational Sciences and Psychology, Social and Cultural Studies, Tehran. (In Persian)
Hasanzadehbarani, S., & Salehi, E. (2016). Quality improvement human resources training of higher education by emphasizing the production and construction of social capital. Quarterly Journal of Training & Development of Human Resources, 3(10), 23-49 (in Persian)
Hosseinzadeh Feremi, M. (2022). Student’s community functions in their cultural empowering. Journal of University Studies, 1(1), 183-205. (In Persian)
Jain, S., & Dowson, M. (2009). Mathematics Anxiety as a Function of Multimensional Self-Regulation and Self-Efficacy. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 34, 240-249.
Khoshnevisan F., Sharifi S, Neyestani, M. R., & Fazeli N. )2019( The value of higher education: analysis of reasons for tendency to study at university. IRPHE, 25(2), 43-61. (In Persian)
Lai, C.S. (2014). College freshmen’s self-efficacy, effort regulation, perceived stress and their adaptation to college. Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(2), 107-117.
Loots, S., & Walker, M. (2016). A capabilities-based gender equality policy for higher education: Conceptual and methodological considerations. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 17(2), 260-277.
Lubker, J. R & Etzel, E. F, (2008). College Adjustment Experiences of First-Year Students: Disengaged Athletes, Nonathletes, and Current Varsity Athletes. NASPA Journal, 44(3), 457-480.
Maio, G. R., Haddock, G., & Verplanken, B. (2018). The Psychology of Attitudes and Attitude Change (3rd ed.). London: Sage
Maneshi, F. Zohrehvand, R. and Mashini, F. (2011). "The role of students' gender composition in theoretical and skill branches on the rate of girls and boys entering universities." Women in Development and Politics, Volume 8, Number 2, pp. 53-3. (In Persian)
Marginson, S. (2016). Higher education and inequality in AngloAmerican societies. In Student equity in Australian higher education (pp. 165-182). Springer.
Mohammadi N, Fallahi-khoshknab M, rahgoy A, hosseini M. (2019) Investigation factors affecting Academic tendency in Master student of Nursing in Students of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2018. 3 JNE; 8 (4) :1-8(In Persian)
Paya, A., & Ebrahimabadi, H. (2022). Our expectations of universities in the next few decades: Developments in universities responsibilities and functions. Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities, 14(3), 9-48. doi: 10.22035/isih.2022.4784.4697
Ranjbarhaji Abadi, N., Azimpour, A., Ebrahimim, R., Rezaei, M., Heidari, Sh., Zareipour, M., Tizfahm, T., & Bagherzadeh, N. (2015). Comparison of academic achievement motivation of single and married students of Islamic Azad University, Urmia Branch, National Conference on Youth Health and Conference Type of Conference: Islamic Azad University. (In Persian)
Rastegar Khaled, A. (2011). The Effect of gender Differences on the Academic Achivement Motivation. Women's Strategic Studies, 13(50), 81-124. (In Persian)
Ritzer, G. (2014).  Contemporary sociological theory (M. Salasi. Trans.). Tehran, Iran: Elmi. (In Persian)
Rozance, CP (1991). Cheating in medical schools: implications for students and patients. JAMA, 266(17), 2453-6.
Sabzali, M., Darvishi, M., & Moosavand, M. (2024). Metaverse in Iran. Journal of Cyberspace Studies, 8(1), 121-144. doi:10.22059/jcss.2024.95894
Sarfi, M., Sarfi, T., Aris, S., Zohouri, M., & Aeini, B. (2023). Religion and Migration: An Iranian Survey. Migration Letters, 20(S4), 470–480. doi: 10.59670/ml.v20iS4.3871
Seidman, S. (2016). Contested knowledge (3rd ed.; H. Jalili, Trans.). Tehran, Iran: Ney. (In Persian)
Sierles, F. & Hendrickx I. (1980). Cheating in medical school. Academic Medicine, 55(2), 124-5.
Sim, H. S., & Moon, W. H. (2015). Relationships between Self-Efficacy, Stress, Depression and Adjustment of College Students. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 8(35).1-4.
Sperry, L. (2015). Mental Health and Mental Disorders: An Encyclopedia of Conditions, Treatments, and Well-Being [3 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Conditions, Treatments, and Well-Being. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, p. 47.
Subramony, M., Segers, J., Chadwick, C., & Shyamsunder, A. (2018). Leadership development practice bundles and organizational performance: the mediating role of human capital and social capital. Journal of Business Research, 83, 120-129.
Taj Rooshan, N., & Zourofi, M. (2015). The relationship between social and cultural factors with the selection of field of study criteria among Islamic Azad University students. Sociological studies, 8(27), 81-97. (In Persian)
Teylor, J. L. (2015). Person-environment interaction: Effects of student-faculty congruence on academic satisfaction and achievement of student. A dissertation submitted for doctor of education, Washington State University.
Yau, H. K., Sun, H., & Cheng, A. L. F. (2012). Adjusting to university: the Hong Kong experience. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 34(1), 15–27.
Volume 1, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
Summer 2023
Summer 2023
Pages 5-38

  • Receive Date 06 March 2023
  • Revise Date 09 May 2023
  • Accept Date 10 June 2023