"It's Just Like an Extra String to Your Bow": Exploring Higher Education Students' Perceptions and Experiences of Extracurricular Activity and Employability

Autor/inn/en	Thompson, Leanne J.; Clark, Gordon; Walker, Marion; Whyatt, J. Duncan
Titel	"It's Just Like an Extra String to Your Bow": Exploring Higher Education Students' Perceptions and Experiences of Extracurricular Activity and Employability
Quelle	In: Active Learning in Higher Education, 14 (2013) 2, S.135-147 (13 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1469-7874
DOI	10.1177/1469787413481129
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Extracurricular Activities; Mixed Methods Research; Student Participation; Employment Potential; Reflection; Lifelong Learning; Student Characteristics; Metacognition; Career Planning; Student Attitudes; Semi Structured Interviews; Undergraduate Students; Questionnaires; Awards; United Kingdom + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Außerunterrichtliche Aktivität; Schülermitarbeit; Schülermitwirkung; Studentische Mitbestimmung; Arbeitsmarktbezogene Qualifikation; Beschäftigungsfähigkeit; Life-long learning; Lebenslanges Lernen; Meta cognitive ability; Meta-cognition; Metakognitive Fähigkeit; Metakognition; Karriereplanung; Schülerverhalten; Fragebogen; Award; Auszeichnung; Großbritannien
Abstract	Students' experience of higher education comprises not only their academic studies but also their extracurricular activities. This article reports on the findings from a mixed-methods research project, exploring in detail the nature and value of extracurricular activity engagement and the significance of institutional schemes encouraging extracurricular activity engagement, from a UK student perspective. Our findings reveal that many students are actively engaged in a variety of extracurricular activities and recognise their value for employability. However, fewer students are strategic in their patterns of involvement, which may be hindered by a lack of career planning. Furthermore, extracurricular activity engagement can be detrimental to academic study, and engagement alone does not assure employability benefits. However, structured institutional schemes encouraging extracurricular activity engagement may facilitate reflection, enabling students to make best use of their experiences for their future careers. Our research contributes to a growing body of research evidence on "life-wide learning". (Contains 1 table.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10