Study Highlights Young People’s Motivations for Accessing Higher Education

In February 2026, Lusófona University took part in the XXXIII AFIRSE Portugal Colloquium 2026 – Policies and Practices of Education and Training: Contributions from Research, held from 11 to 13 February at the Institute of Education of the University of Lisbon.

Dulce Franco, lecturer at Lusófona University - Lisbon University Centre and IPLUSO, and researcher at CeiED, presented a paper co-authored with Esmeralda Santo (CeiED), Maria Neves Gonçalves (IPLUSO-CeiED), Joana Quinta (Instituto Superior de Ciências da Educação de Benguela) and Micaela Fonseca (Hei-Lab, Lusófona University - Lisbon University Centre). The session, entitled “Final-year secondary school students: motivations for entering higher education”, generated significant interest among participants and experts.

The presentation addressed the factors influencing Year 12 students in choosing their higher education pathway, presenting data, methodologies and practical implications of the study. The researchers highlighted the importance of higher education as a means of accessing better professional opportunities and discussed evidence-based solutions to support informed decision-making among young people.

The subsequent debate highlighted the growing interest in research-based educational strategies and reinforced Lusófona University’s role in promoting studies that contribute to more coherent educational pathways, aligned with societal needs, students’ aspirations and the challenges of contemporary education.