Motivation for international academic mobility

Comparing incoming and outgoing engineering students

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/hg7scw48

Keywords:

International Academic Mobility, outging students, incoming students, student motivation, Self-Determination Theory, Higher Education Internationalization

Abstract

International academic mobility is a central dimension of higher education internationalization, yet limited attention has been given to the motivational processes that shape students’ participation. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), this study examines the motivational profiles of outgoing and incoming engineering and architecture students at a large Spanish university using an adapted version of the Échelle de Motivation en Éducation (EME-E). The findings show that students generally display high levels of autonomous motivation, although important differences emerge across subgroups. Incoming students report greater amotivation, whereas outgoing students—particularly at the master’s level—show stronger external and identified regulation. In addition, students who travel to Latin America exhibit greater intrinsic motivation and overall self-determination, whereas gender-related differences appear only among outgoing students. These results show that international mobility is not a homogeneous experience and highlight the importance of assessing motivational quality to inform more targeted and student-centered internationalization strategies.

Author Biographies

  • Isabel Ortiz-Marcos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

    Isabel Ortiz Marcos is a professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain, where she works in the field of engineering education and higher education internationalization. Her research interests include student motivation, international academic mobility, leadership, and project management, with a particular focus on the educational impact of international experiences. She currently serves as Director of UPM’s Office for the USA and Canada.

  • Ricardo Albarracín, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

    Ricardo Albarracín-Sánchez is Associate Professor and Vice-Dean for Economic Affairs and Planning at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería y Diseño Industrial (ETSIDI), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain. He received his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. His research interests include electrical insulation systems, liquid and solid dielectrics, partial discharge measurement and analysis, condition monitoring of power equipment, antennas and sensors for electromagnetic acquisition, and renewable energy integration in electrical grids and drives. He has also served as Assistant to the Director for International Mobility and has extensive experience in international academic collaboration. He currently serves as Assistant to the Vice-Rector for Internationalization.

  • Morris Villarroel, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

    Morris Villarroel Robinson is a professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain, where he is affiliated with the School of Agricultural, Food and Biosystems Engineering. He currently serves as Assistant to the Vice-Rector in the coordination and management of EELISA, the European University alliance to which UPM belongs. His academic and professional work is closely linked to higher education collaboration, institutional development, and international academic initiatives.

  • Jesús Fraile-Ardanuy, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

    Jesús Fraile Ardanuy is a professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain, where he is affiliated with the School of Telecommunications Engineering. He served as Vice-Dean for International Relations at the school for the past five years and currently serves as Assistant to the Vice-Rector for Latin America and Cooperation. His academic and institutional work is closely linked to internationalization, higher education collaboration, and academic cooperation initiatives.

  • Luis Salgado, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

    Luis Salgado Álvarez de Sotomayor is Full Professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain, and currently serves as Vice-Rector for Internationalization. He previously served as UPM’s Director for North America and Canada and, before that, as Vice-Dean for International Relations at the School of Telecommunications Engineering. His academic and institutional work is strongly connected to higher education internationalization, global partnerships, and international academic cooperation.

  • Xavier Ferre, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

    Xavier Ferré is Associate Professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain, where he is affiliated with the School of Computer Science Engineering. He has served as the Rector’s Delegate for Asia-Pacific for the past six years and previously held the position of Vice-Dean for International Relations at the same school. His academic and institutional work is closely linked to higher education internationalization, international partnerships, and global academic collaboration.

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Published

2026-08-29

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 19 (2026): Online First - Journal of International Students

Section

Global Mobility, Policy, and Internationalization

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Copyright (c) 2026 Isabel Ortiz-Marcos, Ricardo Albarracín, Morris Villarroel, Jesús Fraile-Ardanuy, Luis Salgado, Xavier Ferre

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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How to Cite

Ortiz-Marcos, I., Albarracín-Sánchez, R., Villarroel Robison, M., Fraile Ardanuy, J., Salgado Alvarez de Sotomayor, L., & Ferre Grau, X. (2026). Motivation for international academic mobility: Comparing incoming and outgoing engineering students. Journal of International Students, 16(19). https://doi.org/10.32674/hg7scw48