Relationship Between On-Campus Student Engagement and Student Ownership of the Institution

Abstract

Educational institutions in the developing countries have always viewed student on-campus engagement as a burden on resources and cost factor. However studies at various primary and secondary level shows better performance and retention of students with on-campus engagement activities. This research focuses on a much-ignored tertiary level of education where students have a much stronger role in creating word of mouth for or against the institution. This research used a sample 2500 tertiary level students of 50 tertiary level educational institutions to see the relationship between the student on-campus engagement measured through number of student societies and extra-curricular activities and student satisfaction and ownership of the institution. The findings of this paper reveals that the ordinary association between on-campus student societies and students level of ownership for institution was found not significant in the absence of students’ satisfaction level as a mediating variable while the stated associations was found handsomely significant and robust in the presence of students’ satisfaction level towards societies. Furthermore the ordinary association between students’ recreational activities and students level of ownership for institution was found again insignificant in the absence of students’ satisfaction level as a mediating variable while the stated associations was found augustly significant and robust when students’ satisfaction level towards societies was taken as the mediating variable. This study helps the educational institutions to understand the psychological aspects of students association with their educational institution. It outlines the importance of on-campus engagement that leads to students’ satisfaction with their institution and development of positive word of mouth at all forums by the students.