Abstract:

The key to success in any enterprise is motivation. At the University of Mauritius, many students undergo a difficult process to motivate themselves for learning for many reasons.
One of them is the education system of the country. From primary school till the final year of their secondary education, students learn only to compete. Competition is found at different levels: in class, nationally for entry to the public ‘star’ secondary schools, and for scholarships to study abroad offered by the state and companies.
Some students get scholarships to get a place at the University of Mauritius which is considered the best on the island and also among the best in the Indian Ocean.

Hence one of the main objectives for learning for students has been ‘competition.’
But when they reach tertiary level, the drive that existed for years becomes nil. A university context is different from primary and secondary school. The students have now become adults and apart from getting their qualifications, they now are independent and have to fulfill their other needs as they are then on the brink of starting a career and a family life. This is very typical in Mauritius as most families are conservative and parents of all ethnic backgrounds have these expectations on their children.

But what about at the university? What barriers do they encounter in their learning process? What motivation problems do they face?
With the theory of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and surveys that will be conducted, this paper will look into the needs of the students and attempt to provide solutions to the specificities.

Keywords:

Motivation, learning, Maslow, University of Mauritius, needs, tertiary.