What affects Japanese students’ initial interests in studying abroad? Empirical analysis on the complex nature of determinants

Today, there is much more emphasis on research concerning factors affecting college students’ decisions to study abroad than on factors influencing their initial interest in doing so. This paper, therefore, focuses on the latter, examining the determinants of students’ initial interest in global learning based on a survey conducted at a university in Japan. Using a generalized ordered logit model, this paper demonstrates the complex nature of how these determinants affect different levels of students’ interest in study abroad programs. Consistent with the literature on the determinants of students’ decisions to study abroad, our analysis finds that factors such as gender, global experience, future career prospects, perceived benefits, and concerns affect Japanese students’ initial interest in doing so. At the same time, this paper finds that some of these variables' effects are limited to students with a certain degree of interest, while others significantly impact all types of students.