MULTIDIMENSIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS INTENTION TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING APPROACH

Abstract

This study aims to examine the determinants that influence senior high school students’ intention to pursue higher education by integrating motivational, familial, institutional, and social dimensions into a structural model.A quantitative, correlational research design was employed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The sample consisted of 438 grade-12 students from senior high schools (SMA/SMK) in Central Java, Indonesia, selected through proportional random sampling. Data were collected using validated Likert-scale instruments measuring six constructs: self-motivation, family support, social influence, institutional perception, and intention to pursue higher education.The results revealed that family support significantly influences institutional perception (β = 0.617, p< 0.001), which in turn positively predicts students’ intention to continue to higher education (β = 0.347, p< 0.001). Self-motivation also emerged as a strong direct predictor of intention (β = 0.330, p< 0.001). However, social influence did not significantly impact students’ intentions (β = 0.121, p = 0.106). Moreover, institutional perception was found to mediate the relationship between family support and intention (β = 0.214, p< 0.001).This study contributes to the educational literature by incorporating institutional perception as a key mediating variable and by applying a theoretically grounded structural model within a developing country context. The findings underscore the need for educational policy to strengthen family engagement, personalize student motivation strategies, and enhance institutional branding to foster equitable access to higher education.