TAF PUBLISHING

The purpose of this study is to identify important social factors which influence students in choosing between foreign and Lithuanian universities for a college education. The research used a longitudinal study approach, where the same respondent is repeatedly observed over several time instances. A system theory approach was applied for data gathering and analysis. This was done by identifying state and the environmental values and their interactions in terms of which the student's observed behavior can be explained. Data were gathered by observing students' surroundings at their universities, semi-structured interviews with study participants, and structured questionnaires. Fifty students, some of whom have emigrated for studies in Great Britain and others who have stayed in Lithuania, have been followed by our team for almost five years. The research identified significant changes with time in the values and importance of variables characterizing the students, finding a greater than anticipated influence of peers and personal contacts on the behavior of the research participants. In contrast, economic considerations seem to have been of less significance than anticipated in modulating the behavior of both kinds of students. The study makes it possible to understand how the environments could be changed to choose studies at Lithuanian universities or return to Lithuania after graduating. This knowledge may be useful for policymakers at various levels of the education system.