Institute for Political Studies

11 Dobrinjska Street
(4th floor)
11000 Belgrade

Contact details
SR
SR
Политика националне безбедности 2/2025

QUALITATIVE INSIGHT INTO FACTORS OF ENROLLMENT IN MILITARY HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Authors
UDCУДК: 355.231/.237(497.11) Pages97-120 Year2025
Download PDF 10.5937/pnb29-58317
Research overview

Abstract

This paper explores the factors that influenced the decisions of cadets at the Military Academy (MA) and the Faculty of Medicine at the Medical Military Academy (MF MMA) to enroll in military higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Republic of Serbia. The research aimed to identify, through qualitative analysis of focus group responses, the reasons and motives behind cadets’ enrollment decisions and their reflections on those decisions. The theoretical framework of this paper is based on empirical research findings and theoretical considerations regarding the factors and models of HEI selection applicable to both civilian and military contexts. The research was conducted on a sample of 32 cadets, and the data were sorted and analyzed through ten thematic categories. The results reveal that the decision of cadets to enroll in military HEIs in the Republic of Serbia was shaped by a complex mix of social, institutional, and economic factors, many of which have already been identified in relevant scientific literature. The insights gained from this study can provide a foundation for developing an instrument for future quantitative research and refining higher education institutions’ communication strategies.

Sources and literature

References

  1. Akareem, Husain Salilul, and Syed Shahadat Hossain. 2016. “Determinants of Education Quality: What Makes Students’ Perception Different?” Open Review of Educational Research 3 (1): 52–67. DOI: 10.1080/23265507.2016.1155167.
  2. Angulo, Fernando, Albena Pergelova, and Josep Rialp. 2010. “A Market Segmentation Approach for Higher Education Based on Rational and Emotional Factors.” Journal of Marketing for Higher Education 20 (1): 1–17. DOI: 10.1080/08841241003788029.
  3. Balık, Hasan, and Adem Başpınar. 2022. “Psychometric Evaluation of the Factors for University Choice Scale in a Military Academy.” İstanbul Üniversitesi Sosyoloji Dergisi / İstanbul University Journal of Sociology 42 (1): 45–63. DOI: 10.26650/sj.2022.42.1.0101.
  4. Bonnema, Jeanne, and De la Rey Van der Waldt. 2008. “Information and Source Preferences of a Student Market in Higher Education.” International Journal of Educational Management 22 (4): 14–27. DOI: 10.1108/09513540810875653.
  5. Bourdieu, Pierre. 2018. “The Forms of Capital.” The Sociology of Economic Life 78–92. DOI: 10.4324/9780429494338-6.
  6. Callender, Claire, and Jonathan Jackson. 2008. “Does the Fear of Debt Constrain Choice of University and Subject of Study?” Studies in Higher Education 33 (4): 405–429. DOI: 10.1080/03075070802211802.
  7. Chapman, David W. 1981. “A Model of Student College Choice.” The Journal of Higher Education 52 (5): 490–505. DOI: 10.1080/00221546.1981.11778120.
  8. Chung, Kim‐Choy, David Holdsworth, Yongqiang Li, and Kim‐Shyan Fam [Chung et. al.]. 2009. “Chinese ‘Little Emperor’, Cultural Values and Preferred Communication Sources for University Choice.” Young Consumers Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers 10 (2): 120–132. DOI: 10.1108/17473610910964705.
  9. Delavande, Adeline, and Basit Zafar. 2019. “University Choice: The Role of Expected Earnings, Nonpecuniary Outcomes, and Financial Constraints.” Journal of Political Economy 127 (5): 2343–2393. DOI: 10.1086/701808.
  10. Deloitte. n.d. “2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey.” Deloitte. Last accessed April 13, 2025. https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/content/genz-millennialsurvey.html.
  11. Gao, Fang, Jacky Chi Kit Ng, and Wincy Wing Sze Lee. 2021. “Are the Effects Always Positive? Rethinking the Role of Parental Social Capital in the University Choice Process.” International Studies in Sociology of Education 32 (3): 717–739. DOI: 10.1080/09620214.2021.1886596.
  12. Hemsley-Brown, Jane, and Izhar Oplatka. 2015. “University Choice: What Do We Know, What Don’t We Know and What Do We Still Need to Find out?” International Journal of Educational Management 29 (3): 254–274. DOI: 10.1108/ijem-10-2013-0150.
  13. Iacopini, Luna, and Martin Hayden. 2017. “The Role of Parents in University Choice: Evidence from Vietnam.” The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher 26 (3): 147–154. DOI: 10.1007/s40299-017-0335-4.
  14. Kaye, Neil. 2020. “Evaluating the Role of Bursaries in Widening Participation in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature and Evidence.” Educational Review 73 (6): 775–797. DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2020.1787954.
  15. Kitzinger, Jenny. 1994. “The Methodology of Focus Groups: The Importance of Interaction between Research Participants.” Sociology of Health & Illness 16 (1): 103–121. DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.ep11347023.
  16. López-Bonilla, J. M., Barrera Barrera, R., Rodríguez Serrano, M. Á., López-Bonilla, L. M., Palacios Florencio, B., Reyes Rodríguez, M. C., and Sanz Altamira, B. [Lopez-Bonilla et. al.]. 2012. “Reasons Which Influence the Students’ Decision to Take a University Course: Differences by Gender and Degree.” Educational Studies 38 (3): 297–308. DOI: 10.1080/03055698.2011.598690.
  17. Marček, Jan, and Radun Jeremić. 2009. “Higher military education system reform in the Republic of Serbia: Serbian Army mission and the Bologna Process.” Vojno delo 61 (4): 129–185.
  18. Maringe, Felix. 2008. Marketing Higher Education: Theory and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
  19. Maringe, Felix. 2006. “University and Course Choice.” International Journal of Educational Management 20 (6): 466–479. DOI: 10.1108/09513540610683711.
  20. Merton, Robert K. 1987. “The Focused Interview and Focus Groups: Continuities and Discontinuities.” Public Opinion Quarterly 51 (4): 550. DOI: 10.1086/269057.
  21. Mitić, Sanja, and Dušan Mojić. 2020 “Student Choice of Higher Education Institutions in a Post-Transitional Country: Evidence from Serbia.” Economic Research 33 (1): 3509–3527. DOI: 10.1080/1331677x.2020.1774794.
  22. Morin, Gabriel, and Véronique Chanut. 2018. “Who Drives an Officer’s Career, the Individual or His Institution? The Case of French Officers.” International Review of Administrative Sciences 86 (2): 388–406. DOI: 10.1177/0020852318768005.
  23. Munisamy, Susila, Noor Ismawati Mohd Jaafar, and Shyamala Nagaraj. 2013. “Does Reputation Matter? Case Study of Undergraduate Choice at a Premier University.” The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher 23 (3): 451–462. DOI: 10.1007/s40299-013-0120-y.
  24. Pasternak, Rachel. 2005. “Choice of Institutions of Higher Education and Academic Expectations: The Impact of Cost-Benefit Factors.” Teaching in Higher Education 10 (2): 189–201. DOI: 10.1080/1356251042000337945.
  25. Paulsen, Michael B. 1990. “College Choice: Understanding Student Enrollment Behavior.” ERIC Publications. Last accessed April 13, 2025. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED333855.
  26. Perić, Nenad, Tatjana Mamula-Nikolić, and Teodora Delić. 2020. “Analysis of Attitudes of GenZ toward Media and Consumption: The Region of Balkans.” Marketing 51 (3): 210–218. DOI: 10.5937/markt2003210p.
  27. Perna, Laura W. “Studying college access and choice: A proposed conceptual model.” Higher Education 21: 99–157. DOI: 10.1007/1-4020-4512-3_3.
  28. Platz, Stephen, and Dirk Holtbrügge. 2016. “Student Expectations and Experiences in Higher Education: A Comparison of State and Private Universities in Germany.” In International Marketing of Higher Education, eds. Terry Wu and Vik Naidoo, 171–190. DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-54291-5_8.
  29. Prakhov, Ilya, Olga Kotomina, and Alexandra Sazhina. 2020. “Parental Involvement and the Educational Trajectories of Youth in Russia.” International Journal of Educational Development 78: 102–252. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2020.102252.
  30. Savić, Nebojša, Jelisaveta Lazarević, and Filip Grujić. 2023. “Generation Z’s Letter to CEOs.” Ekonomika Preduzeća 71 (1–2): 129–143. DOI: 10.5937/ekopre2302129s.
  31. Starčević, Srđan. 2024. „Povratak obaveznog služenja vojnog roka u Evropi – društveni determinizam i perspektive.” Politika nacionalne bezbednosti 26 (1): 11–26. DOI: 10.5937/pnb26-50140.
  32. Stalmeijer, Renée E., Nancy McNaughton, and Walther N. K. A. Van Mook. 2014. “Using Focus Groups in Medical Education Research: AMEE Guide No. 91.” Medical Teacher 36 (11): 923–939. DOI: 10.3109/0142159x.2014.917165.
  33. Turner, Anthony. 2015. “Generation Z: Technology and Social Interest.” The Journal of Individual Psychology 71 (2): 103–113. DOI: 10.1353/jip.2015.0021.
  34. Vrontis, Demetris, Alkis Thrassou, and Yioula Melanthiou. 2007. “A Contemporary Higher Education Student-Choice Model for Developed Countries.” Journal of Business Research 60 (9): 979–989. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2007.01.02
From the same issue

Related publications