Proceedings of the 7th International Academic Conference on Education, Teaching and Learning
Year: 2024
DOI:
[PDF]
Reasons and Influencing Factors in the Decision to Undertake Postgraduate Studies: The Perspective of Graduates with Disabilities from Italy and Spain
Gilda Biagiotti
ABSTRACT:
This article analyses the motivations that led 20 graduates with disabilities from Italy and Spain to pursue postgraduate studies, as well as the factors that influenced their academic choice. A phenomenological approach was used, through semi-structured interviews and inductive data analysis carried out using an inductive system of categories and codes through the qualitative software MaxQDA22. The results of this study point to the motivations for which graduates with disabilities decided to pursue postgraduate studies. These included: the desire to specialise in a specific area, personal interest in expanding the knowledge acquired during the degree and obtaining a qualification that would allow access to a doctorate, as well as knowledge of legislation to defend their own interests. As for the factors that influenced the choice of postgraduate studies, aspects such as cost, the support of family, friends, faculty members of the degree and also the experiences acquired during the curricular internships were highlighted. This article concludes by highlighting the importance of prior educational experiences, emphasising the need for individuals to gain confidence, develop aspirations and understand the opportunities that can arise from obtaining different degrees. Giving graduates with disabilities a voice therefore means providing them with the opportunity to share their experiences of success at undergraduate and postgraduate level. This, in turn, empowers other people with disabilities to make informed choices in their academic pathways, encouraging them to believe in their own potential.
keywords: access to postgraduate studies, comparative study, disability, qualitative methodology, university success