Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn)
Vol 20, No 3: August 2026

Educational enigma for future talent: roles of teachers as catalysts in inspiring high school students to pursue higher education

Sharifah Rahama Amirul (Universiti Malaysia Sabah)
Sharifah Milda Amirul (Universiti Malaysia Sabah)
Rasid Mail (Universiti Malaysia Sabah)
Datu Razali Datu Eranza (Universiti Malaysia Sabah)
Jurry Foo Michael (Universiti Malaysia Sabah)
Colonius Atang (Universiti Malaysia Sabah)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Aug 2026

Abstract

Numerous studies have been conducted from the perspective of high school students, examining the factors that contribute to their refusal to pursue higher education institutions (HEIs). Presently, there is limited study investigating teachers’ viewpoints regarding their roles as change agents in encouraging students towards HEIs. Therefore, this study seeks to provide new insights from educators that can strengthen teacher training and development, as well as inform the creation of customised intervention strategies designed to promote a culture of academic aspiration and achievement among students. Grounded in the philosophical premise of social constructivism, the study employed a qualitative methodology, analysing a sample of ten teachers selected by purposive sampling. In-depth interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the strategies teachers used and the challenges they faced when motivating students to pursue HEIs. We proposed a conceptual study framework built from these findings, illustrating the interaction between teachers’ duties, educational problems, and students’ aspirations for further education. Our research is significant as it advances theory development in educational psychology and motivation theory by revealing new themes and relationships that can enhance existing theoretical frameworks.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

EduLearn

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Education Library & Information Science Social Sciences Other

Description

Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn) ISSN: 2089-9823, e-ISSN 2302-9277 is a multi-disciplinary, peer-refereed open-access international journal which has been established for the dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge in the field of education, teaching, development, instruction, ...