Pull or Pull-er: Differentiating Stronger and Weaker Pull Factors for International Students Choosing Turkey as a Study Destination
Open Cultural Studies, cilt.10, sa.1, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 10 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1515/culture-2025-0097
- Dergi Adı: Open Cultural Studies
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Directory of Open Access Journals, MLA International Bibliography, Sociology Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: higher education, international students, pull-push factors
- İstanbul Üniversitesi-Cerrahpaşa Adresli: Evet
Özet
International student mobility has become an increasingly important dimension of higher education internationalization, particularly for emerging destination countries such as Turkey. This study investigates the key factors influencing international university students’ decisions to choose Turkey as a study destination and examines how these motivations vary according to students’ regions of origin. Data were collected using the 3-Key Rationalization Survey for Incoming International Students, a 23-item instrument designed to assess behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and perceived behavioral control based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. The sample of the study consisted of 3,554 international students enrolled at 30 universities across Turkey. The findings reveal that the primary reasons for preferring Turkey include the opportunity to study abroad, perceived cultural proximity, and favorable comparisons between Turkey’s higher education system and that of students’ home countries. Notably, the results indicate notable regional differences in decision-making patterns. Students from conflict-affected regions, Turkic states, and Eastern Europe tended to base their choices more strongly on normative beliefs and perceived social expectations. In contrast, students from African and Asian countries were more influenced by personal attitudes and perceived educational benefits. These findings highlight the significant role of cultural, social, and contextual factors in shaping international students’ mobility decisions, providing valuable insights for higher education policy and international recruitment strategies in Turkey.