‘It’s just another thing to think about’: encouraging students’ engagement in extracurricular activities

ABSTRACT

Against the backdrop of a diverse and challenging Higher Education (HE) environment within the United Kingdom (UK), this paper extends existing debates around extracurricular activities (ECAs) and considers students’ engagement in ECAs within this context. Adopting a case study approach, and involving a team of student researchers, students’ perceptions of ECA-programmes at a post-1992 Higher Education Institution (HEI) are explored.

A total of 38 students took part in a series of six focus groups. The data collected was thematically analysed and two key themes emerged, namely: perceptions that there is a hierarchy of ECAs, and an enhanced awareness of the barriers to students’ participation in ECAs, including the potential for harm. This paper examines the prospective impact of these findings and makes recommendations for the future development of ECA-programmes within HEIs.

KEYWORDS:

• Extracurricular activities
• student engagement
• student wellbeing
• higher education
• barriers to engagement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Post-1992 refers to higher education institutions in the United Kingdom who were granted university status through the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. This can include both former polytechnic colleges and institutions that have been created since 1992.

2. The phrase ‘Russell Group’ refers to a group of 24 ‘world-class, research-intensive’ universities within the United Kingdom (Russell Group n.d.)

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Sheffield Hallam University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Student Experience Fund.

Notes on contributors

Jill Dickinson

Dr. Jill Dickinson is a Senior Lecturer in Law and Senior Fellow of Advance HE. After spending 10 years working as a solicitor in private practice, Jill moved into academia. Alongside various Course and Research Leadership roles, she has collaborated with both internal and external partners to develop student employability initiatives.

Teri-Lisa Griffiths

Teri-Lisa Griffiths is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology. As a former careers adviser, her teaching is focused on the development of employability and academic skills. Her research interests are centred on the student experience and professional development.

Alex Bredice

Alex Bredice is a recent psychology graduate from Sheffield Hallam University with an aspiration to pursue a career as a psychological researcher. After completing her undergraduate degree, she has worked as a research assistant on a number of research projects. Her research interests are focused upon mental health and well-being.