Student Motivation for Choosing to Study a BTEC First Diploma - Research Paper Example

The benefits of BTEC 1st Diploma in public services provides some insight at least, into why students may opt for studying a BTEC 1st Diploma in public services. Aside from the benefits attributed to a career in public services and the actual academic value of a BTEC 1st Diploma in public services, there may be other more practical and /or personal reasons why students are motivated to study a BTEC 1st Diploma in public services. This dissertation investigates why students are motivated to study a BTEC 1st Diploma in public services by taking a quantitative and qualitative approach to collecting and analyzing the relevant data.

The qualitative approach is comprised of a review of the literature relevant to the theories and assumptions about the value and benefits of public services, the BTECT 1st Diploma in public services and theories relative to motivation and human conduct. The quantitative approach is comprised of a study made up of 24 students in a BTEC class at South Bank. This student sample was asked to complete a questionnaire which seeks to solicit response directly related to why the course was opted for.

A number of colleagues were also interviewed for their perspective on why students study public services. As governments continue to undergo significant changes in the 21st century, public services careers are becoming more and more diversified. Today’s public services careers invariably call for knowledge and skills in a variety of areas from e-government, managing contracts, innovations, health and safety and a number of traditional skills such as budgeting, human resources, political and information management (Cohen and Eimicke 2007, 267).

Globalization and global terrorism have called up the most highly trained public servants who are both flexible and imaginative (Cohen and Eimicke 2007, 267).