University Student Participation in Out-of-Class Activities
Student university experience is not limited to class attendance. In fact students may be involved in various out-of-class activities implying both horizontal interaction with peers and vertical interaction with faculty. The participation in these activit
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11. UNIVERSITY STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN OUT-OF-CLASS ACTIVITIES Consequences for Study Career and Academic Achievement
INTRODUCTION
Student university experience is not limited to class attendance. In fact students may be involved in various out-of-class activities implying both horizontal interaction with peers and vertical interaction with faculty. The participation in these activities may influence both students’ performance and career. The theory of involvement (Astin, 1984, 1993) includes many out-of-class experiences among the factors that affect learning outcomes. Living in a residence hall, academic involvement, student-faculty interaction after class, athletic involvement, socialization and participation in student organizations or in a fraternity or sorority, are some of the experiences that could promote learning. Further, academic and social involvement – or engagement – is considered one of the most important conditions favouring student persistence and graduation (Tinto, 1975, 1997, 2010). In several research works conducted in different contexts and with different methods, the interaction with peers is positively associated with study success measured by various indicators. Using a qualitative approach, Kuh (1993, 1995) provides a picture of the positive outcomes that students associate with out-of-class experiences. Results show that out-of-class activities contribute to personal development enhancing the “capacity for critical thinking, personal reflection, competence and self-direction” (Kuh, 1993, p. 300). In particular, peer interactions are “mentioned frequently as instrumental to the development of interpersonal competence, humanitarianism, and cognitive complexity” (Kuh, 1995, p. 134). Peer interaction is a major concern in the discussion on “learning beyond the curriculum”. Using a narrative approach, the role of peer learning in the process of becoming a university student, adapting to the institutional, social and cultural rules, is emphasized (Havnes, 2008). Other studies are carried out using quantitative methods. They investigate the association between students’ involvement in various activities and study outcomes considering several aspects of their interaction with peers. The study by Nicpon et al. (2006), based on Tinto’s model of academic persistence (1993), shows the great importance of peer relationships in deciding to persist. Students who are satisfied with their social relationships feel less isolated and more R. Deem & H. Eggins (Eds.), The University as a Critical Institution?, 185–216. © 2017 Sense Publishers. All rights reserved.
M. ANZIVINO & M. ROSTAN
supported, and are more likely to persist. Although the indicators used in this study are mainly psychological and are not focused on out-of-class activities, its findings are useful to understand the importance of social integration for students’ career. Also relying on Tinto’s framework, Meeuwisse et al. (2010) show that both formal and informal relationships with peers and faculties are important to develop a sense
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