990747

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JSIXXX10.1177/1028315321990747Journal of Studies in International EducationDe Winter et al.

Article
Journal of Studies in International Education

International Student Mobility

1­–19
© 2021 European Association for
International Education
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Academic Motivation

Tom De Winter1,2 , Christof Van Mol3 ,

and Helga A. G. de Valk4

Abstract
The academic literature on the determinants of international student mobility so far
has largely ignored the influence of romantic relationships and study motivation in the
development of aspirations to participate in temporary learning experiences in another
country. However, young adults might take considerations about investments in
individual development (via academic training and thus study motivation) and romantic
relationships into account in their decision-making process. Consequently, we apply a
life-course perspective analyzing the relationships between having a romantic partner,
study motivation, and aspirations to participate in an international exchange program
among first-year university students, based on a survey conducted among 603 freshmen
in Brussels. As female students are more likely to participate in student exchanges
compared with male students, we pay special attention to gender differences. Our
results show that a romantic relationship is negatively correlated with aspirations to
participate in an international student exchange among female students. In contrast,
intrinsic academic motivation is significantly associated with such aspirations among
female and male students. Overall, our findings indicate the need for the consideration
of different life-course domains in academic studies on international student mobility.

Keywords
student mobility, romantic relationship, partner, student, academic motivation

1
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
2
University of Groningen, The Netherlands
3
Tilburg University, The Netherlands
4
Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute/KNAW/University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Corresponding Author:
Tom De Winter, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel 1050, Belgium.
Email: [email protected]
2 Journal of Studies in International Education 00(0)

Introduction
Over the past decade, scholarly work on the determinants of international student
mobility (ISM) significantly expanded in different fields (see, for example, Hagen-
Zanker, 2008; Netz, 2015; Souto-Otero et al., 2013; Van Mol & Timmerman, 2014;
Vossensteyn et al., 2010). At the micro-level, ISM is found to be mainly driven by a
mixture of developmental, leisure, travel, personal, and experiential goals (King &
Ruiz-Gelices, 2003; Lesjak et al., 2015; Vossensteyn et al., 2010). However, most
studies overlook life-course factors and rely on retrospective information regarding
students’ (eventual) mobility decisions. In this article, in contrast, we argue that higher
education students are at the crossroads of several life-course transitions which should
be taken into account in studies on ISM decision-making processes. With the term
“international student mobility,” in this article, we refer to higher education students’
temporary learning experiences abroad, resulting “in progress toward an academic
degree at a student’s home institution, excluding degree-seeking studies at a foreign
institution” (Ogden et al., 2020, p. xxvi). In the European literature on international
student exchanges, this is often called “credit mobility” (see, for example, Breznik &
Skrbinjek, 2020; Souto-Otero et al., 2013; Teichler, 2012; Vossensteyn et al., 2010). In
this article, we particularly focus on students’ aspirations to participate in the European
Erasmus+ exchange program for higher education students, providing insight into the
factors that may influence higher education students’ ISM decision-making process at
an early stage.
The contribution of our article to the academic literature is threefold. First, we
focus on to what extent romantic relationships of higher education students play a role
in eventual ISM-aspirations. After all, life-course studies have stressed the relevance
of the people around the individual in the development of migration and mobility deci-
sions (often referred to as the “linked lives” principle; Elder et al., 2003; Fischer &
Malmberg, 2001; Haug, 2008). Existing studies on the role of the family on ISM-
decisions also suggest that families can play a sometimes subtle yet important role
(Cairns, 2014; Souto-Otero et al., 2013). Furthermore, studies that looked at immobil-
ity decisions and control for relationship status suggest that having a romantic partner
may influence decisions not to participate in international exchange opportunities
(e.g., Netz, 2015; Van Mol, 2014). The existing empirical literature, however, has not
yet paid full attention to the importance of romantic relationships for ISM-aspirations.
This is unfortunate, as especially in early adulthood, when decisions to participate in
international exchange programs are made, romantic partnerships are an important
part of the individuals’ life and development (Collins et al., 2009; Zarrett & Eccles,
2006). Consequently, in this article, we specifically focus on the relationship between
students’ involvement in romantic relationships and aspirations to participate in the
Erasmus+ program.
Second, aspirations to participate in international exchange programs might also
correlate with study motivations. After all, from a human capital perspective, partici-
pation in such exchanges can be considered to be an additional investment to develop
specific knowledge, skills, and competences (Becker, 1975). As such, motivations in
De Winter et al. 3

terms of the determination to acquire such knowledge, skills, and competences likely
play a crucial role in the decision-making process. Relying on self-determination the-
ory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; R. M. Ryan & Deci, 2000), which distinguishes between
internal and external orientations of motivation, we therefore investigate whether dif-
ferent types of self-determined study motivation during a student’s study career are
associated with aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+ program.
Third, we explicitly analyze the role of having a romantic relationship as well as
study motivations on aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+ program from a gen-
der perspective. With the term gender, we refer to individuals’ biological sex and its
associated cultural and social role expectations. As such, we do not refer to gender
identity, that is, whether an individual identifies as masculine, feminine, or both, or to
a simple binary biological variable that neglects the cultural and social expectations
associated with sex differences. It is well known that women are overrepresented in
international exchange programs, irrespective of their field of study (Böttcher et al.,
2016; Li et al., 2013; Redden, 2008; Salisbury et al., 2010). Today, this unequal gender
balance remains unexplained and is identified as one of the major gaps in research on
the determinants of ISM decisions (King & Raghuram, 2013; Salisbury et al., 2010).
By focusing on ISM aspirations of female and male students, we aim to provide poten-
tial explanations for the existence of this gender gap, particularly addressing the poten-
tial differential role that romantic relations and study motivation may have for male
and female students in developing aspirations to study temporarily abroad.
In sum, our study thus sheds light on how social (and in particular romantic) rela-
tions as well as study motivations relate to aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+
program, with specific attention to gendered processes. Our analyses rely on unique
survey data collected among all first-year bachelor students from the wider social sci-
ences and humanities at a higher education institution in Brussels, Belgium [Vrije
Universiteit Brusse].

Background
Aspirations as Key Concept for Understanding ISM
In this article, our first conceptual starting point comes from the literature on interna-
tional migration, which focuses both on temporary and permanent forms of migration,
and wherein participants in international exchange programs are conceptualized as a
specific group of migrants, because of the migration-related dynamics they undergo
(see, for example, Van Mol, 2014, pp. 34–35; Van Mol & Michielsen, 2015).1 In line
with such theoretical conceptualizations, studies on international migration dynamics
have great potential for informing studies on the decision-making processes, experi-
ences, and outcomes of international exchange students. In migration studies, decision-
making processes are often conceptualized as step-wise processes (Van Mol et al.,
2018). Carling (2002) developed the two-step aspirations/ability model, in which
migration is seen as the result of people’s aspirations to migrate and then the ability to
do so. Migration can be desirable, and preferred over staying (“aspiration”) but having
4 Journal of Studies in International Education 00(0)

migration aspirations may or may not result in actual mobility due to structural con-
straints or variation in individual capabilities, referred to as “ability.” So far, these con-
cepts and notions, as developed by Carling (2002), have not been regularly applied to
ISM (for an exception on degree-seeking mobility, see Lombard, 2019). However, it is
a valuable frame for our study population of first-year BA students who just started
higher education and did not yet participate in an international exchange program.

Life-Course Perspective: Linked Lives

In this article, we use the life-course perspective as our second conceptual starting point
to understand study-abroad aspirations of higher education students. The life-course
approach provides a framework for understanding the complexity of contexts and devel-
opment of individual lives (Elder et al., 2003). According to this framework, individual
decisions are embedded in time and place as well as social relations (Elder et al., 2003;
Macmillan & Copher, 2005). For our study, we focus on the notion of “linked lives,”
explained as the “interdependency and socio-historical influences that are expressed
through the network of shared relationships” (Elder et al., 2003, p. 13; Mayer, 2001).
Briefly, it acknowledges the interdependency of individuals in their aspirations, deci-
sions, and actions. After all, wider family and social contexts are likely to influence
geographical mobility while individual agency in life-course decisions is acknowledged
(Fischer & Malmberg, 2001; Hagen-Zanker, 2008; Haug, 2008; L. Ryan & Sales, 2013;
Souto-Otero et al., 2013; Williams et al., 2018).
The life-course concept of “linked lives” has been applied in migration research
(Wingens et al., 2011) and as such is closely related to the concepts of “social embed-
dedness” or “location-specific social capital” (Fischer & Malmberg, 2001; Haug,
2008). In migration studies, having more social capital or being more socially embed-
ded in one location is typically believed to impede having migration aspirations as
moving would imply the disturbance of these local social ties (Cairns & Smyth, 2009;
Vidal & Kley, 2010). A recent study by Williams et al. (2018) also showed that indi-
viduals who attach great importance to being with family have lower intentions to
migrate. A similar finding was reported in an earlier study on post-graduation mobility
(Frieze et al., 2006).
Romantic partners are a specific and influential case of “linked lives” and can thus
be expected to play an important role in the migration decision-making process. In his
study on German degree mobile students, Carlson (2013) also refers to this as the “part-
nership project.” The literature on both international and internal mobility has empiri-
cally shown the influence of partners on moving aspirations, intentions, and behavior
(e.g., De Jong, 2000; Kley, 2011; Mulder & Wagner, 1993), for short- and long-term
mobility experiences. For higher education students who are in the phase of making
choices in different life domains, like education, work, and family life, we may expect
that having a romantic partner may also shape their life-aspirations, including aspira-
tions to participate in an international exchange program during their studies. Although
higher education students are in a life phase where they are still relatively free from
constraints, a number of studies on barriers to participation in the Erasmus+ program
De Winter et al. 5

have indicated that family and personal relationships are one of the most important bar-
riers to participation in the Erasmus+ program (Beerkens et al., 2016; Souto-Otero
et al., 2013; Vossensteyn et al., 2010). More specifically, having a partner seems to
deter students from participation in educational experiences abroad (Brandenburg,
2014; Bröckl, 2012; Carlson, 2013; Netz, 2015; Van Mol, 2014; Van Mol & Timmerman,
2014). However, most studies on ISM-decisions that include romantic relationships
have merely treated this as a control variable without aiming to understand the role
these relationships already play in forming aspirations and the potentially gendered
effects they may have. Based on the existing literature reviewed above, we hypothesize
that among higher education students, romantic relationships are negatively associated
with aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+ program (Hypothesis 1). In addition, we
also expect the relative importance of romantic relationships to differ between female
and male students. We elaborate on this in the section on gendered dynamics.

Self-Determined Motivations
A third conceptual starting point for this article comes from psychology, more pre-
cisely, self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; R. M. Ryan & Deci, 2000),
which is helpful for conceptually understanding how study motivations might relate to
aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+ program. In self-determination theory, two
broad motivational categories are differentiated, namely, intrinsic and extrinsic moti-
vations (Deci & Ryan, 1985; R. M. Ryan & Deci, 2000). Intrinsic motivation refers to
“doing something because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable and is linked to the
inherent human curiosity, and eagerness to learn” (R. M. Ryan & Deci, 2000, p. 55).
Extrinsic motivation could be explained as “doing something because it leads to a
separable outcome,” for example, through external pressure or control (R. M. Ryan &
Deci, 2000, p. 55). Various levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are associated
with educational characteristics, for example, educational achievement, school atten-
dance, school drop-out, classroom conduct, and satisfaction at school (e.g., Ratelle
et al., 2007; Vallerand & Bissonnette, 1992; Vansteenkiste et al., 2006; Vecchione
et al., 2014). In the context of higher education, it can be expected that students’ study
motivations also correlate with their aspirations to study temporarily abroad. After all,
participation in study-abroad programs can be considered as an additional investment
of students in the development of their competences, knowledge, and skills. Students
who show high study motivations can hence be expected to be more likely to make
such additional investments. Given the previous literature which shows that particu-
larly intrinsic motivation is relevant in predicting educational outcomes, we hypothe-
size that particularly intrinsic study motivations correlate with aspirations to participate
in the Erasmus+ program (Hypothesis 2).

Gendered Dynamics
Although a gender gap in international exchange participation is observed in Australia,
Europe, and the United States, few studies have paid attention to the potentially
6 Journal of Studies in International Education 00(0)

gendered nature of the decision-making process to participate in an international

exchange. Salisbury et al. (2010) stressed the importance of gender-specific analyses,
arguing that social and cultural capital might differently affect the ISM decision-mak-
ing process of male and female students. This has also been suggested in the broader
international migration literature, where it has been indicated that social embedded-
ness may be particularly relevant for immobility decisions of women. The mecha-
nisms that are suggested to be responsible for this relate to the potentially different
attitudes and norms toward the responsibilities of female roles within family and rela-
tionships; women are often seen as the kin-keeper in the family (e.g., Fischer &
Malmberg, 2001; Hadler, 2006; Kley, 2011). The few available studies that focus on
the gender gap in ISM report that female students are more likely to value the opinions
of parents, friends, and relatives regarding study abroad (Presley et al., 2010; Shirley,
2006). Furthermore, a study among Australian higher education students who com-
bined study and a family indicated that female students in particular experienced more
conflicts between their role as a student and their family roles as a parent and partner
(Stone & O’Shea, 2013). Overall, this leads us to expect that the inhibiting effect of a
romantic relationship on aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+ program will be
stronger for female students than it is for male students (Hypothesis 3).
Finally, we may also expect a gendered effect on the link between academic motiva-
tions and aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+ program. It has consistently been
shown that educational motivations develop in a gendered fashion from the start of the
school career under the influence of various mechanisms and actors during childhood
(e.g., parents, teachers), (Meece et al., 2006). For example, in an Italian study on pre-
dictors of students’ performance, Vecchione et al. (2014) found that the predictive value
of intrinsic motivation is stronger for female students, while male students seem more
strongly influenced by external regulation (as a subcategory of extrinsic motivation).
Consequently, we hypothesize the correlation of intrinsic motivation with aspirations to
participate in the Erasmus+ program to be stronger among female students compared
with male students (Hypothesis 4).
In sum, in this article, we focus on how aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+
program are influenced by romantic relationships and study motivations, whereby we
expect gender to act as a moderator.

Data and Method

Data
We use a unique cross-sectional student survey dataset from 2016 that was collected
(paper–pencil) among first-year bachelor students in Social Sciences and Humanities at a
higher education institution in Brussels (Belgium). By focusing on students from a single
institution, comparability among the sampling units is guaranteed as the same institutional
rules on participation in the Erasmus+ program apply. The response rate of the survey was
57% (N = 1,080). Given the different life stage that older students might be in and which
might affect their mobility aspirations, we restricted the sample to respondents younger
De Winter et al. 7

than the age of 26, without children. We additionally limit our analyses to those students
who are studying full-time (for whom studies is their main activity). Applying these restric-
tions provides us with a total analytical sample of 603 respondents.

Variables
Dependent variable.  Our dependent variable is aspirations to participate in the Eras-
mus+ program, which was measured by the question “Do you have the intention to go
on an Erasmus mobility during your studies?”2 The possible answer categories were
“yes, definitely”; “yes, probably”; “no, probably not”; “no, definitely not”; “do not
know”; and “I do not know the Erasmus mobility program.” We recoded the answers
into a variable with three categories: (0 = “no probably not” and “no, definitely not”;
1 = “yes, definitely” and “yes, probably”; 2 = “do not know” and “I do not know the
Erasmus mobility programme”).

Independent variables. As we focus on the relationship between ISM aspirations and

romantic relationships, a first dichotomous variable measures whether the respondent
had a romantic relationship at the time of the survey (0 = no, 1 = yes). This is a self-
reported relationship status, with only a reference to “boyfriend/girlfriend.” The relation-
ships have a median duration of 18.5 months. Second, we use two continuous measures
of students’ academic motivations, based on a principal components analysis (PCA) on
nine statements. For each item, respondents could rate their level of agreement on a
5-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree).
The PCA identified two main components: Component 1 refers to intrinsic academic
motivations (Cronbach’s α = .700) and Component 2 to extrinsic academic motivations
(Cronbach’s α = .751). In our analyses, we use sum scales of the two components as
independent variables, with higher values indicating higher academic motivations.
Third, gender—referring to individuals’ biological sex and its associated cultural and
social roles—is included as a dichotomous variable (0 = female, 1 = male).3

Control variables. Several variables that—based on the background section—are

expected to correlate with aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+ program are
included as control variables. First, age is measured by a continuous variable indicat-
ing single years. Second, the ISM literature clearly indicates that socioeconomic back-
ground plays an important role in ISM decisions, with students from a lower
socioeconomic background being less likely to participate (for a recent overview, see
Netz et al., 2020). Therefore, we include two indicators for socioeconomic status of
the student: a measurement of study financing and educational attainment of the
mother. Parental educational attainment, and especially that of the mother, is consid-
ered as a good measurement for socioeconomic status of young adults, and is addition-
ally found to be related to academic achievement (Entwislea & Astone, 1994; Hoff
et al., 2002). Study financing is measured by a dichotomous variable indicating how
the student finances his or her studies (1 = full parental financial support), 0 = (par-
tial) financing in a different way (e.g., part-time student job, grants). In all, 62.6% of
8 Journal of Studies in International Education 00(0)

the respondents indicate that their studies are fully paid by their parents. Educational
background of the mother is measured with three categories, 1 = low (up to lower
secondary education degree), 2 = medium (up to higher secondary education degree),
3 = high (tertiary education degree); 62.2% of all mothers has a tertiary degree. We
compared our sample with a representative study of 18- to 30-year-olds in Belgium,
the JOP survey (2013),4 and found that in our sample, there are slightly fewer young
adults with higher educated parents. In the JOP survey, 76% of respondents who are
having a university degree themselves have a parent with a higher education degree.
With regard to migrant background, the percentages of our sample and the JOP survey
are matching (42% of young adults has a migrant background).
Third, we included a measure for the importance expressed by the respondents about
weekly contact with the parents to control for family centrality (Frieze et al., 2006),
ranging from 1 (not important at all) to 5 (very important). We combined the variables
for both parents (if applicable) into a single variable, indicating the average score.
Fourth, as previous experiences living abroad also show to increase the likelihood
of participating in international exchange programs during a higher education degree
(e.g., King & Ruiz-Gelices, 2003; Saarikallio-Torp & Wiers-Jenssen, 2010; Van Mol
& Timmerman, 2014), we included two variables measuring the “international biogra-
phy” of respondents. First, a dichotomous variable indicating whether the respondent
had lived abroad for 3 months in his or her life or not (0 = no, 1 = yes). Second, a
dichotomous variable indicating whether the respondent has family living abroad (0 =
no, 1 = yes), as respondents with family abroad might be more internationally ori-
ented. Although Table 1 indicates that only a minority of our respondents already lived
abroad themselves, about two third has family members living abroad, which is prob-
ably related to the fact that almost half of our respondents have a migration back-
ground, reflecting the population diversity in terms of origin in Brussels: Nearly 62%
of the population in Brussels is of foreign origin (Petrovic, 2012). Consequently, we
also control for ethnic origin (0 = respondent and both parents are born in Belgium,
1 = respondent or at least one parent is born abroad), as previous research is inconclu-
sive on whether ethnicity matters or not (see, for example, Netz et al., 2020).
An overview of descriptive statistics is provided in Table 1.

Analytic Strategy
Given that our dependent variable has three categories, we use multinomial logistic
regression models. We use “not having aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+
programme” as reference. We start with models based on the pooled data and continue
with separate analyses by gender.

Results
Descriptive Analysis
A majority of the respondents, 65%, expressed an aspiration to participate in the
Erasmus mobility program (Table 1). When examining the relationship between
De Winter et al. 9

Table 1.  Descriptive Statistics of the Sample (N = 603).

Variable M SD Range n
Intrinsic academic motivation 4.11 .55 1–5 602
Extrinsic academic motivation 3.26 .87 1–5 603
Age (centered on age 18) .86 1.28 0–7 603
Importance weekly contact with parents 4.46 .73 1–5 562
  % Range n
Study-abroad aspirations 0–1 597
 No 22.1  
 Yes 65.0  
  Do not know 12.9  
Romantic relationship 0–1 599
 No 67.1  
 Yes 32.9  
Gender 0–1 603
 Male 67.0  
 Female 33.0  
Study finance through parents 0–1 572
  Partially/not financed by parents 37.4  
  Fully financed by parents 62.6  
Educational level mother 1–3 564
 Low 14.7  
 Medium 23.0  
 High 62.2  
Lived abroad 0–1 603
 No 83.9  
 Yes 16.1  
Family living abroad 0–1 603
 No 38.3  
 Yes 61.7  
Migration background 0–1 603
 No 57.9  
 Yes 42.1  

romantic partnerships and these aspirations, we see a clear pattern: Those who are
involved in a relationship have lower aspirations compared with those without a part-
ner (59.5% and 67.8%, respectively). However, this relationship is not statistically
significant (χ2 = 5.427, p = .066). In line with our expectations, higher intrinsic aca-
demic motivation correlates with having aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+
program, F(2, 594) = 12.894, p < .001. For extrinsic academic motivation, we do not
find a significant relationship, F(2, 594) = 0.315, p = .730. Furthermore, we also find
a significant association (χ2 = 26.806, p < .001) between gender and ISM aspirations;
71.9% of the female students indicated they aspire to participate in the Erasmus+
program, whereas the percentage for male students is 50.8%.
10 Journal of Studies in International Education 00(0)

Multivariate Analysis
Next, we present multinomial logistic regressions on ISM aspirations (Table 2). In
Model I, the relationship between being involved in a romantic relationship and
aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+ program is investigated, controlling for
confounding variables. In line with Hypothesis 1, students involved in a romantic
relationship have a significant lower propensity to consider participation (odds
ratio [OR] = .606, p < .05*). No statistically significant relationship between
being in a romantic relationship and ISM aspirations is found among respondents
who did not yet know whether or not to participate in the Erasmus+ program
(OR = 0.724, p > .05).
Model II focuses on the relationship between academic motivation and aspirations
to become mobile. The OR of 3.064 (p < .001) indicates—in line with Hypothesis
2—that a higher intrinsic motivation score is significantly associated with students’
aspiration to participate in the Erasmus+ program, and this does not hold for extrinsic
motivations (OR = 1.174, p > .05). This relationship is also found among those who
do not yet know whether to go abroad or not: This group of students has higher intrin-
sic motivation levels compared with those who do not want to go abroad at all (OR =
2.038, p < .05*).
Model III then investigates the relationship between gender and ISM aspirations,
and shows that male students have significantly lower odds for ISM aspirations (OR
= 0.344, p<.05), confirming Hypothesis 3. Again, such relationship is not detected
for students who did not yet know whether to participate in the Erasmus+ program or
not (OR = 0.788, p > .05). The full model (Model IV) confirms each of the reported
previous results: Female students (OR = 0.361, p < .05) and those with intrinsic study
motivation (OR = 2.693, p < .001) are more likely to participate in the Erasmus+
program, whereas those in a romantic relationship (OR = 0.536, p < .05) are less
likely to have such aspirations.
As a final analytical step, we tested whether the main effects we found hold by
gender (Table 3). Model I replicates the full model as shown in Table 2 (Model IV),
to facilitate comparison with the gender-specific Models II and III. The models
clearly show that intrinsic motivation is positively correlated with aspirations to par-
ticipate in the Erasmus+ exchange program for both male (OR = 3.579, p < .05) and
female (OR = 1.850, p<.05*) respondents. Interestingly, the odds for intrinsic moti-
vation are much higher among the male students in our sample. As such, Hypothesis
4, which stated that the relationship between intrinsic motivations and study-abroad
aspirations would be stronger among female students compared with male students,
is rejected. Interestingly, when conducting separate analyses for male and female
students regarding the association between being involved in a romantic relationship
and aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+ program, we find that the significant
relationship in the full model can primarily be attributed to the female respondents. It
is only for women that being in a romantic relationship results in lower aspirations
(OR = 0.358, p < .01). Although not reaching significance, being in a romantic rela-
tionship for women also results in lower odds of not knowing whether or not to aspire
 Table 2.  Multinomial Logistic Regressions on the Propensity to Participate in the Erasmus+ Program During the Higher Education Degree
(Reference Category = No, Odds Ratios).

Model I Model II Model III Model IV

  Romantic relationships Academic motivations Gender Full model

  Yes Do not know Yes Do not know Yes Do not know Yes Do not know
  Romantic relationships (ref: no) 0.606* 0.724 0.536* 0.690
  Academic motivations
  Extrinsic motivation 1.174 1.128 1.203 1.132
  Intrinsic motivation 3.054*** 2.038* 2.693*** 1.990*
  Gender (ref: female) 0.344*** 0.788 0.361*** 0.824
Control variables
 Age 0.876 0.802 0.857 0.789 0.888 0.800 0.890 0.798
  Study fully financed by parents 0.842 1.080 0.877 1.116 0.844 1.070 0.884 1.104
(ref: no complete parental financing)
  Educational level mother (ref: low)
  Medium 1.251 1.028 1.366 1.097 1.214 1.012 1.366 1.103
  High 2.567** 1.136 3.273** 1.355 2.622** 1.152 3.164** 1.303
  Importance weekly contact with 0.945 1.129 0.876 1.063 0.865 1.110 0.806 1.059
parents
  Lived abroad (ref: no) 1.206 0.886 0.962 0.755 1.182 0.858 1.169 0.851
  Family living abroad (ref: no) 1.791* 2.127* 1.537 1.930 1.746* 2.118* 1.574 1.969
  Migration background (ref: no) 1.418 0.863 1.542 0.927 1.517 0.907 1.330 0.844
n 499 499 499 499
R2 (Nagelkerke) .078 .137 .121 .187
χ2 likelihood ratio test (df, p) 33.228 (18, .016) 59.688 (20, < .001) 52.290 (18, < .001) 83.399 (24, < .001)
–2 log likelihood 580.346 786.969 569.988 776.992

Note. Standard errors in parentheses.

11
*p ≤ .05. **p ≤ .01. ***p ≤ .001.
12
Table 3.  Multinomial Logistic Regressions on the Propensity to Participate in the Erasmus+ Program During the Higher Education Degree
(Reference Category = No, Odds Ratios).

Model I Model II Model III

  Total sample Women Men

  Yes Do not know Yes Do not know Yes Do not know

  Romantic relationships (ref: no) 0.536* 0.690 0.358** 0.420 0.985 1.083
  Academic motivations
  Extrinsic motivation 1.203 1.132 1.248 1.431 1.177 0.883
  Intrinsic motivation 2.693*** 1.990* 1.850* 1.328 3.579** 2.581
  Gender (ref: female) 0.361*** 0.824 — — — —
Control variables
 Age 0.890 0.798 0.816 0.482* 0.932 1.086
  Study fully financed by parents (ref: no 0.884 1.104 1.445 1.795 0.516 0.843
complete parental financing)
  Educational level mother (ref: low)
  Medium 1.366 1.103 1.078 1.545 2.247 0.555
  High 3.164** 1.303 2.719* 1.773 4.457* 0.802
  Lived abroad (ref: no) 1.169 0.851 2.331 0.985 0.494 0.619
  Family living abroad (ref: no) 1.574 1.969 1.736 2.162 1.365 1.749
  Importance weekly contact with parents 0.806 1.059 0.766 0.642 0.702 1.912
  Migration background (ref: no) 1.330 0.844 1.240 0.780 1.703 0.820
n 499 336 163
R2 (Nagelkerke) .187 .175 .248
χ2 likelihood ratio test (df, p) 83.399 (24, <.001) 49.772 (22, .001) 39.262 (22, .013)
–2 log likelihood 776.992 460.685 286.816

Note. Standard errors in parentheses.

*p ≤ .05. **p ≤ .01. ***p ≤ .001.
De Winter et al. 13

to participate in the Erasmus+ exchange program (OR = 0.420, p > .05). This sug-
gests that being in a romantic relationship for women excludes the option of partici-
pation. For the models in which we compare those who “do not know” with those
having no aspirations for participation separately by gender, we do not find signifi-
cant results for any of our independent variables.

Conclusion and Discussion

In this study, we focused on whether and how romantic relationships, academic moti-
vations, and gender—referring to students’ biological sex and its associated cultural
and social role expectations—are related to aspirations to participate in the interna-
tional exchange program Erasmus+, among a sample of freshmen at a higher educa-
tion institution in Brussels, Belgium. Based on our analyses, the following three major
conclusions can be drawn.
First, our findings clearly indicate that being in a romantic relationship is nega-
tively correlated with aspirations to participate in an international exchange program
for female students. This finding is in line with the international migration literature
(e.g., De Jong, 2000; Kley, 2011; Mulder & Wagner, 1993). Nevertheless, for interna-
tional migration, the retaining effect of a partnership is often explained as making the
decision process more complex because the partner (and often children) also form part
of a single household. The romantic relationships higher education students are
engaged in, however, are often not (yet) formalized by marriage or registered partner-
ship, no children are involved (by selection in our sample), and these students are
usually not sharing the same household with their partner. As such, our results clearly
illustrate the importance of considering romantic relationships in ISM decision-mak-
ing processes, even when partners do not share the same household. They also indicate
that women may be much more inclined to plan their individual aspirations in line with
that of the partner while men are more driven by their own aspirations irrespective of
having a partner or not.
Second, our results showed that higher intrinsic study motivations are significantly
and positively associated with aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+ program.
The important role of intrinsic academic motivation on such aspirations might be
explained from the angle of personal development motivations which are often men-
tioned as the main personal motivations for participating in international exchange
programs (e.g., Van Mol & Timmerman, 2014). We found intrinsic motivation impor-
tant for both male and female students, but it had particularly high relevance for male
students. It seems that it is a selection of male students with very high intrinsic motiva-
tion (and with highly educated mothers) who are particularly likely to aspire to partici-
pate in international exchange programs. For them, this may be an investment in
themselves as well as a way to invest in future job opportunities.
Third, in line with the documented gender gap in the likelihood of participation in
international exchange programs, female students in our sample expressed higher
aspirations for participation compared with male students. At the same time, being in
14 Journal of Studies in International Education 00(0)

a romantic relationship seems to lead to lower aspirations only among female students.
These gender-specific effects are puzzling and suggest that there is a dichotomy
between women who aspire to participate in ISM and related individual development
in contrast to others who are in a romantic relationship already at a relatively young
age which they prioritize over individual aspirations. As such, our results potentially
indicate the influence of gender socialization on ISM decision-making processes. Our
findings suggest that in a period when family and partner commitments are typically
assumed to be still low priorities and students are very early in the study-abroad deci-
sion making process, female students are still more influenced by potential conflict
between educational goals and relationship expectations.
Our findings may also provide relevant information for practitioners. In line with
other studies (see, for example, Beerkens et al., 2016; Souto-Otero et al., 2013; Van
Mol, 2014; Van Mol & Timmerman, 2014), we show that personal relationships are
one of the most important barriers for participation in—specifically—the Erasmus+
program. The study of Beerkens et al. (2016) revealed that respondents who indicate
“home ties”—which included work and family/relationship commitments—were also
more likely to indicate an Erasmus+ stay to be too long. Today, the minimum period
for participation in the Erasmus+ program is 3 months. Based on our findings, one
may consider the possibilities for organizing shorter study stays abroad within the
framework of the program, as well as for other international exchange programs across
the world. This allows for a more inclusive participation in these programs.
Finally, some limitations of this study should be mentioned. First of all, this study
focuses on aspirations to participate in the Erasmus+ program. This implies that we
do not know whether the findings also hold true for real participation. For example, the
fact that we find romantic relationships as an impeding effect for aspirations to partici-
pate among female students, while female students still participate in greater numbers
in study-abroad programs than male students, challenges us to further elaborate this
relationship by studying the full decision-making process. In addition, students in our
sample were surveyed in the first weeks of their university career when participation
in an international exchange program may still be rather abstract for most of them, as
participation in the Erasmus+ program is only possible in the third year of the bach-
elor programme and at the master’s level. The high percentage of respondents indicat-
ing aspirations to participate in the program among our sample (65%) shows an
initially positive and open attitude toward participation. However, over time, students
may be tempered in the realization of their aspirations by the barriers encountered dur-
ing the mobility decision process (again, referring back to the notion of “ability”).
Second, our measure of a romantic relationship did not provide us with more
detailed information on relationship characteristics such as the characteristics of the
partner (e.g. gender), the duration of relationship, or whether partners where living
apart, cohabiting, or were married. Our study only gives an indication of the associa-
tion between having a partner and study-abroad aspirations. Future studies could
expand on studying relationship characteristics in more detail, including partner
negotiation dynamics as well as the role of heterogeneous gender attitudes and iden-
tifications. This latter focus would also allow the field to go beyond the common
De Winter et al. 15

binary male/female approach, and pay full attention to diversity in relationships and
genders. Finally, it would be important to expand the analyses to consider dynamics
over time (on the potentially changing role and effects of a romantic relationship)
which is not possible with our cross-sectional data. Linked to this, it would be inter-
esting to develop more research into how relationships change, adapt, or are formed
as a result of migration.
Third, by also covering general academic motivation, we aimed to include a mea-
sure of importance of self-development/investment, which can be important for the
decision making on ISM as well as on partner relationships. Our findings suggest that
this aspect is very important for women and even more so for men. Having said that,
the measure only gives a first insight into how students balance different dimensions
of their lives and the importance given to academic development. It is clearly worth-
while for future studies to expand on this further and to understand how academic
motivations remain of importance or not over time.
In conclusion, the results of our study indicate the need for a more comprehensive
linked lives approach, including romantic relationships as well as more gender-sensi-
tive analyses in research on decision-making processes regarding participation in an
international exchange program. Decision-making processes do not take place in a
social vacuum: Our results strongly suggest higher education students take the social
context into account when making such decisions, in which male and female students’
decision-making process might unfold differently.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship,
and/or publication of this article.

Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of
this article.

ORCID iDs
Tom De Winter https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5494-7513
Christof Van Mol https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9275-101X

Notes
1. The empirical and theoretical academic literature in the field of migration studies focuses
on a wide array of international migration forms, which vary in terms of length (short-term
and long-term), types of migrants, as well as origin and destination countries. For example,
there is a large literature that focuses on the mobility of expats between developed coun-
tries, or highly skilled migrants who move within the European Union for shorter time peri-
ods. Given this varied nature of the international migration nature, it can be an informative
starting point for studies on international student exchanges as well.
2. This question is literally translated from the original Dutch/Flemish version. It should
be noted that in Dutch, the word “aspiration” is not commonly used. Instead, the word
16 Journal of Studies in International Education 00(0)

“intention” is generally used to describe what individuals have in their minds to do in

the future. Although we acknowledge the conceptual differences between aspirations and
intentions in English, in this case, we feel reassured to assume that we measure aspirations
here and not intentions, particularly as we asked these questions to a sample of freshmen.
3. Acknowledging the diversity and importance of gender identifications, apart from being
male or female, respondents could also indicate the option “other” to grasp different gender
identifications. However, only two respondents ticked this box, which does not allow for
any meaningful analyses on this group.
4. https://www.jeugdonderzoeksplatform.be/files/FF_Studeren.pdf

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Author Biographies
Tom De Winter is a doctoral researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and University of
Groningen. His main research interests focus on intra-European mobility and migration.
Christof Van Mol is assistant professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology at
Tilburg University, the Netherlands. Prior to joining Tilburg in 2017, he worked as a senior
researcher at the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Institute (NIDI, the Netherlands) and the
University of Antwerp (Belgium). His main thematic interests are international migration
processes, patterns and outcomes, with a specific focus on international student mobility and
migration.
Helga A. G. de Valk is director of the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute
(NIDI) in the Hague and professor of Migration and the life course at the University of
Groningen. Her research interests focus on migration and integration issues, the transition to
adulthood of immigrant youth, union and family formation, the second generation and European
mobility. She currently leads an ERC Consolidator Grant.