The Economics of Cultural Learning: Erasmus Students’ Museum Visits and Engagement

Abstract

This study investigates how economic conditions shape informal cultural learning within European student mobility, focusing on Erasmus students’ museum participation and engagement. Drawing on a quantitative cross-sectional design (N = 100), the study examines whether perceived economic difficulty and affordability predict museum visitation and cultural learning engagement. Multiple regression analyses indicate that economic difficulty significantly reduces museum visits, while perceived affordability strongly predicts engagement (β = .52, p < .001), with economic variables explaining 29% of the variance in participation and 42% of the variance in engagement outcomes.