Community Identity Development and Interpersonal Development in Tertiary Education in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

Given the rapid increase in tertiary enrollments in Trinidad and Tobago over the past 2 decades, there is a critical need for locally based research to guide practice in student support services. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the work of student support services—in particular, students' interactions with student support services staff, interactions with their peers, and cocurricular engagement—and student development in Trinidad and Tobago. Findings regarding the importance of student support services in contributing to student development have important implications for practice in Trinidad and Tobago and also for the ways in which we might understand student engagement and student development in a collectivist cultural context.