Privatister – hvem er de, og hva motiverer dem til å lykkes på eksamen? Kartlegging av bakgrunnsvariabler og deres intensjon i lys av en utvidet versjon av teorien om planlagt atferd

There is limited research concerning the background variables and motivational processes of private candidates (i.e., persons taking exams without being enrolled as students in Norwegian upper-secondary school). The aim of this study was twofold: (i) to map background variables of the candidates, and (ii) to study their intention to succeed on their exams in light of an extended version of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The results indicate that privately registered candidates represent a complex group where the majority (52%) takes exams in order to improve their grades on exams they have already passed. The extended TPB model explained 50% of the variance in intentions with past behavior, future orientation and perceived behavioral control as the strongest predictors. Limitations and implications of the present study are also discussed.