Motivation for Studying Abroad: The Utilitarian Trend of Educational Expectation

Zhejiang Haining High School, 314400, Jiaxing, China

^* Corresponding author: Rrunii@Outlook. com

Abstract

The utilitarian trend of studying abroad motivation has been widely discussed, but the existing research on the systematic causes of this trend is still insufficient. This article will analyze the manifestation, formation mechanism and multi-dimensional impact of studying abroad utilitarianism on individuals, the education system and society from the two levels of external market and individual internal cognition. According to the analysis of this article, utilitarianism is mainly based on three aspects: the overwhelming academic orientation, the full penetration of the logic of “cost performance”, and the marginalization of academic research. The external cause is rooted in the signal distortion of the labor market, and the internal cause is that the school selection standard is reversed to “return first”. Based on this, this article puts forward suggestions from three dimensions: at the individual level, pre-study counseling can facilitate cognitive restructuring among individuals; at the institutional level, reforms should the education evaluation system and market signal mechanism to weaken the “sheepskin effect”; at the psychological level, efforts should be made to enhance the students’ mental health system and alleviate anxiety. These measures aim to provide a theoretical framework for the rational return on the value of overseas education.