Investigating patterns of identification and commitment in students’ professional becoming

How do students become professionals? And what role do the social and cultural aspects of the university play in these processes? Despite ample research into students’ professional identities, existing literature tends to lack cross-disciplinary comparative studies. This study seeks to uncover patterns of students’ professional becoming related to sociocultural aspects within higher education (HE). To assess students’ professional becoming across fields, a new survey instrument was developed, piloted, and validated. Students’ professional becoming is conceptualised as professional commitment and professional identification. To explore the meaning of study programmes as cultural contexts, we distinguish between Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), as well as between profession- and discipline-based study programmes. About 518 students from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) participated in the study. The multiple regression analyses indicate that STEM students experience stronger professional commitment and weaker professional identification than HSS students, but there are no significant implications of the profession-discipline-separation. To explore the relevance of social aspects within the university environment, the study accounts for peer belonging and faculty support, as well as the students’ intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation has a positive connection with both commitment and identification, whereas faculty support is only related to identification. Overall, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of similarities, distinctions, and patterns in students’ professional becoming and provides researchers and educators with pointers to further explore and support students’ professional becoming.