My family matters: altruistic, mixed and self-oriented purposes for learning among Chilean students

Abstract

This work analyzes the purposes declared by a small sample of Chilean students, categorizing them according to their self-oriented, altruistic or hybrid characteristics, going beyond the dichotomy that is common in the literature, which includes only extrinsic and intrinsic purposes, or self-oriented and prosocial purposes. As an emerging category, it delves into family purposes, discussing factors that could influence the relevance of the family as a determinant of purpose. In addition, the importance given to the family in the purpose of Chilean students is compared with international literature, which tends to relegate the family environment to a second place with respect to other purposes. This comparison is intended to inspire future analyzes that delve into the contextual determinants of the definition of purpose in education. Finally, this work aims to contribute to future research on purpose in Latin American students, since it is likely that in the region there is a similar pattern, which relieves the family as a crucial element for the construction of the purpose and motivations of the students.