Research on College Student Involvement

1. Research on College Student Involvement By Jacqueline Ford Ph.D. Doctoral Student Hampton University

2. Student Involvement In Co-Curricular Activities

3. Alexander Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement Definition of Student Involvement: The amount of physical and psychological energy that the student devotes to the academic experience. For student growth to take place, students need to actively engage in their environment.

4. Astin’s Theory of Involvement The amount of student learning and personal development from any educational program is directly proportional to the quality of student involvement in the program. The effectiveness of an educational policy or practice is directly related to the capacity it has to increase student involvement.

5. Research by Astin • College students’ intensity and extent of involvement in college has an impact on the benefits of the college experience (1984) and enhances the educational outcomes of the institution. • Peer groups represent the strongest influence on undergraduates. (1994).

6. Research by Study Group in American Higher Education (1984) • Student involvement is the most important condition for improving undergraduate education with involvement in Student Organizations being the 1st step. • Student organizations assist students in fine tuning their leadership and organizational skills thus preparing for the world of work.

7. Guido-DiBrito & Bachelor (1984) “Student organizations play a critical role in leading and developing where students learn ,are tested, succeed and sometimes fail”.

8. Rainey (1995) • College students involved in student organizations acquire increased skill development and other aspects of personal growth.

9. Patrick, Niles, Margetiak & Cunningham (1993) Students who are involved in student organizations are more satisfied with their academic major than those not involved.

10. Abrahamowicz (1988) Student involvement in student organizations result in a greater involvement in the overall college experience and also in a higher quality educational experience

11. Benefits to Students Involvement • Greater satisfaction with their college experience on general dimensions compared with less involved students • Useful experience in obtaining a job and providing job related skills • Development of lifelong values of volunteerism and service to others as well as lifelong, leisure skills. • Primary vehicle for students to develop relationships and friendships outside the classroom

12. Benefits of Student Involvement • Increases student retention • Improves interpersonal skills including community and group organizational skills. • Positive influence on skills in leadership, community, teamwork, organizing, decision making and planning. • Intentionally develops community that will promote and maximize learning

13. Future Leadership Development Prior student leadership experience influences future involvement within civic organizations. Involvement stimulates personal development • Students who do not elect to become involved outside the classroom in either work study or student organizations are developmentally less mature than involved students

14. New Practices and Policies . Advisors and faculty must be more diligent in promoting the benefits of student involvement

15. Policy Implications Every institutional policy or practice can affect the way students spend their time and the amount of effort they devote to co-curricular activities. Administrative decisions on issues to include cost of events, types of on campus employment and the amount of faculty/student & interaction & policies on mandatory freshman housing affect the quality and quantity of time students spend involved on campus.

16. The Student The concept of Student Involvement emphasizes giving greater attention to the shy, withdrawn, isolated, passive, reticent or unprepared student.

17. Faculty and the Classroom • Faculty can achieve maximum student involvement and learning if they focus less on course content and teaching technique and more on what students are actually doing, how motivated they are and how much time they are devoting to learning

18. Assessment • Student Affairs personnel can increase their commitment to monitor the involvement of their students in co-curricular activities and conduct assessments of all programs to ensure that they are high in quality to increase student learning and success.