Motives, commitment and student identity in higher education—experiences of non-traditional students in Sweden

Changes in higher education (HE) in Sweden, from elite to mass education, with an increased number of students and institutions, has raised questions about the role of HE in society. Relating to conflicts between discourses of employability, democracy, traditional academic norms and experiences of non-traditional students, the aim of this article is to explore and discuss non-traditional students' motives for studying as part of the process of the formation of student identities. In this article motives and commitment to HE are two aspects of student identity apparent in student narratives. The material is based on 48 biographical interviews with non-traditional students at three HE institutions. The result shows different motives for entering, dropping out and continuing to study. From these motives, we have identified eight student identity types that are analysed in relation to commitment to HE, and to being a ‘continuer’ versus a ‘drop out’: the altruistic student, the ambivalent student, the car-park student, the life-long learner, the at-risk-of-failing student, the instrumental student, the one-track student and the self-realiser. These identity types are further discussed in relation to conflicting discourses of HE in society.