Resumen

MARTINEZ-HERNANDEZ, Ariadna Crisantema  y  VALDERRAMA-JUAREZ, Lorena Elizabeth. Motivation to Study in High School Students. Nova scientia [online]. 2011, vol.3, n.5, pp.164-178. ISSN 2007-0705.

The aim of this research work was to identify which were the motives that the high school students -at a private university located in the city of Leon Guanajuato. Had to continue studying. With this in mind, they were asked to give an answer to the following question: What are the reasons you have to continue studying?-within a sociodemographic profile, checking from a list of options the ones that corresponded to his/her personal situation. The survey was applied to 961 freshman high school students from which 411 were male (Averageage_ageM=15.19 ±.53), and 540 were female (Averageage_ageF=15.19 ±.39). For the information analysis first the frequency distributions were built and then it was used the square "Ji" test to calculate the independence of variables. It is observed in the results that: first the participants are within what is considered a normal educative trajectory. Second, the principal reasons for them to continue studying are: superation desire, espectatives of a well paid job after graduation, interest in study, obtains prestige in the long term and to get independent from their families, third, the order in which the reasons are chosen is determined by the gender. It is concluded that there is a motivational profile to give continuity to study, this profile is diferenciated by sex and sustains the idea that a high level of studies will provide in the future a better quality of life.

Palabras llave : Teenagehood; life project; motivation; context; high school students.