Abstract
This study examined the nature of students’ out-of-class involvements with a view to identifying the kinds of involvement that are most conducive to positive adjustment to university. Students from five Canadian universities completed questionnaires in November of their first-year at university assessing the quality of their out-of-class involvements and the extent to which such activities were structured (i.e., supervised, performed regularly, had a goal or purpose). Measures of adjustment to university were administered in November and March of their first-year. Results indicated that the amount of structure present in out-of-class activities was positively related to university adjustment. Activity quality was found to mediate the relationship between activity structure and university adjustment; it seems that activities that are highly structured are related to more positive outcomes because they tend to provide participants with a high-quality experience. Results are discussed in terms of the transition to university, and first-year transition intervention programs.
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Tieu, TT., Pancer, S.M., Pratt, M.W. et al. Helping out or hanging out: the features of involvement and how it relates to university adjustment. High Educ 60, 343–355 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9303-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9303-0