Co-curricular Involvement Research Articles

Assessment of Student Pharmacists' Co-Curricular Professionalization Using an Impact Scale.

Co-curricular participation is a required component of the pharmacy program. Assessment of co-curricular activities has proven challenging due to lack of manpower to address the workload of reviewing multiple critical reflections. This project documented the professionalization impact of co-curricular involvement and secondarily explored the utility of our assessment tool, the Co-curricular Impact Scale (CIS), developed to streamline the assessment process. First- through third-professional-year students (P1, P2, P3) participated in five co-curricular domains: (i) professional development/education; (ii) patient care service; (iii) legislative advocacy; (iv) leadership/service to the pharmacy profession; and (v) healthcare-related community service. For the CIS, 16 questions were developed and mapped to 11 educational outcomes and included assessing the impact of immersing in an authentic learning experience, collaborating with healthcare professionals, and preparing for the pharmacist role. A group of 296 students rated the impact of participation as low, moderate, or significant for five events annually. Based on 717 entries, the two attributes deemed most impactful were: "Activity immersed me in an authentic learning experience" (95% ≥ Moderate Impact) and "Activity improved my self-confidence" (93% ≥ Moderate Impact). P1 students found slightly less impact in co-curricular participation (83.5%) than P2 (88.4%) and P3 (86.8%) counterparts. The CIS proved to be an efficient method to collate impact of co-curricular involvement upon student professionalization.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO STUDENTS’ SENSE OF BELONGING: A CASE STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM

This study aimed to examine students' perceptions of belonging in their first year studying at “AUTHOR” University, explore significant factors affecting students' sense of belonging and find out how students’ sense of belonging influences their educational outputs. A mix method approach which combined both quantitative and qualitative analysis was used in this research. In the quantitative phase, 266 first-year students were asked to give their responses on a questionnaire which consisted of three sections. Section one was an adaption from The Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale (Goodenow, 1993) while the other sections involved items on factors affecting students' sense of belonging and the influences of students' belonging on educational outputs. In the qualitative phase, 20 first-year students (10 on-campus and 10 off-campus) took part in the semi-structure interviews. The results showed that the factors affecting students' sense of belonging to the university were academic factors (classroom comfort and instructor support), social factors (co-curricular involvement, peer connection, faculty support, and campus climate) and environmental factors (campus facilities and living space). Institutional factors, on the other hand, did not contribute to students' sense of belonging. Eventually, the findings revealed that students’ sense of belonging had a significant effect on their academic achievement, motivation and positive well-being. Meanwhile, loneliness and stress were relieved.

Rx to Lead—Examining Pharm.D. Leadership Development Commencing during Pharmacy School through Co-Curricular Engagement

Leadership development in college is frequently cited as developing during undergraduate years. Nevertheless, some graduate and professional students develop further as leaders through involvement at the graduate level. This paper explores a case study examining the ways Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) students commenced leadership development during pharmacy school through their co-curricular involvement.

Participation in Recreational Sports and Student Engagement in a South African University

Using culturally relevant frameworks, this study explored students’ self-reported sense of belonging and noncognitive learning outcomes as a result of cocurricular involvement in recreational activities at a South African University. Survey responses from 1,884 students involved in various cocurricular activities suggest the positive influence recreational sport involvement has on student learning outcomes, with students’ gender, finances, and accommodation playing a role. This study contributes to the literature by providing insights from a non-U.S. context.

Longitudinal Analysis of Co-Curricular Involvement Among Engineering Undergraduates: Exploring Timing, Type, and Self-Reported Skills Development

The purpose of this study is to explore the self-reported professional competencies gained by engineering students involved at different rates and types of co/extra-curricular activities (CECAs) between their grade 12 and junior years of undergraduate engineering education. The contribution of this work is in using longitudinal data to understand how student engagement and learning outcomes might evolve to inform potential co-curricular programming changes. We analyzed data from an annual professional development survey from 970 students from 2016-2019. Findings show that higher engagement may not necessarily lead to higher skill acquisition for all students per unit of time, particularly in engineering-focused facets of professional skills. Co-curricular spaces are prone to be dominated by certain demographic profiles, and students are likely to engage in nontechnical work and clubs, as compared to co-curricular projects and research experiences. We conclude that future work should attempt to specify the “goldilocks” level of involvement, understand barriers to participation, and robustly characterize the nature of learning and students’ recognition of their learning through CECAs.

The Impact of Cocurricular Engagement on Doctor of Pharmacy Students’ Personal and Professional Development

ObjectiveTo explore how third-year students in 4-year Doctor of Pharmacy programs make meaning of their participation in cocurricular activities relative to their personal and professional development, and to determine the extent to which any perceived learning outcomes identified by the students align with the personal and professional development skills required for new Doctor of Pharmacy graduates, as identified in Standard 4 of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standard 4. MethodsSeventy third-year Doctor of Pharmacy students across 4 schools/colleges of pharmacy were interviewed and completed a preinterview survey to gather demographic data. Data were analyzed through an inductive, iterative process, which was completed multiple times until theoretical ideas were formulated through a deductive process. ResultsEight themes were identified through the interview process, each intersecting with 1 or more of the Key Elements identified in Standard 4 as desired learning outcomes (self-awareness, leadership, innovation, and professionalism), suggesting a strong connection between students’ perception of their cocurricular engagement and their personal and professional development. ConclusionThis study broadens the scope of knowledge relative to students’ perceived learning outcomes resulting from their cocurricular involvement beyond the prior scope of related literature. Results point to multiple action items for educators to better support students in their personal and professional development through cocurricular engagement.

Environmental Influences on Disabled Students' Cocurricular Involvement

Involvement of students in the cocurriculum is critical to the development of desired outcomes in college. However, the literature on disabled college students centers academic experiences, largely overlooking cocurricular experiences. In this study, we explored the cocurricular involvement of disabled students, examining factors that created barriers for their involvement, how students responded to barriers, factors that made involvement possible, and those that encouraged involvement. Grounded in a critical realist approach to disability, augmented by environmental theories, and employing a descriptive-interpretive design, we used both individual interviews and focus groups to obtain data from 33 disabled students at a midwestern, comprehensive, land-grant university. We found that (a) other people's behaviors and attitudes created more barriers to disabled students' involvement than did physical or organizational factors; (b) participants reported a wide variety of emotional and behavioral responses to the barriers; (c) accessible physical design, flexible organizational policies, and assistance from others made involvement possible; (d) universally designed elements of the physical and organizational environment as well as active support from staff and peers encouraged involvement; and (e) barriers to and encouragers of involvement varied by impairment. We offer implications for further research and practice.

THE HIDDEN LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM: Alumni Perspectives on the Leadership Lessons Gained Through Co-Curricular Engagement

Co-curricular engagement in postsecondary education provides students with a breadth of opportunity for leadership-focused developmental experiences. However, few studies have qualitatively examined in detail how alumni describe years later how formal co-curricular involvement contributes to their development. Such lack of attention has resulted in what we describe as a “hidden leadership curriculum” embedded in co-curricular engagement. To address this gap in the literature, we explored the leadership experiences of 25 recent alumni who were engaged within various co-curricular organizations, and the leadership lessons relevant to their professional success that they report learning as a direct result of their involvement. Findings from this study reveal how the inherent organizational challenges embedded within co-curricular engagements lead students to develop a more interdependent, relational conception of effective leadership behaviors. These conceptualizations place value on collective group engagement and decision-making, and help students recognize group needs over individual desires. In addition, many participants reported acquiring the value of generativity – building a leadership pipeline - within their respective co-curricular organizations. We discuss practical implications, such as the central role of challenging experiences within the co-curriculum, and suggest future research recommendations.

An Exploration of the Relationship between Sustainability-Related Involvement and Learning in Higher Education

Higher education institutions are charged with developing civically engaged leaders to address the pressing issues facing the country and the world. While existing literature suggests institutional practices, such as promoting co-curricular involvement, hold promise for fostering key learning outcomes, educational literature suggests the benefits of participation may not be shared by all students. Using structural equation modeling, we examine the role of background characteristics (i.e., race/ethnicity and gender) and co-curricular participation in sustainability-related activities in fostering climate change leadership development and sustainability activism. We find that women reported significantly higher systems thinking, futures thinking, leadership development, and activism. Additionally, our results suggest systems thinking and futures thinking are key learning outcomes related to students’ climate change leadership development and activism. Moreover, we find a small negative relationship between sustainability literacy and leadership development and activism, suggesting there might exist an inflection point at which more knowledge about climate change and sustainability issues makes students less likely to engage in leadership and activism behaviors. We discuss the implications of this work for sustainability education pedagogy in higher education.

You-Pick-5: 1-Experience, 1-Slide, 1-Minute

The purpose of this article is to discuss the You-Pick-5: 1-Experience, 1-Slide, 1-Minute learning strategy, which draws from the concepts of co-curricular involvement, classroom engagement, and transferable skills. This learning strategy is unique in that it blends academic concepts with student-selected co-curricular activities and intentionally fosters the development of transferable skills like communication, critical thinking, technological proficiency, and professionalism. The learning strategy was developed for use in a first-year college course focused on the concepts of happiness and success within the realms of work, play, and education.

Role of Co-curricular activities creating qualities of leadership among Secondary Schools Students in Ex FATA

The study was designed to evaluate the role of co-curricular activities (CCA) creating qualities of leadership among secondary schools students in F.R Kohat (Sub Division Dara) ex Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (FATA). The function of this study was to discover the leadership ability in students consider they learned through sports and co-curricular activities and to validate how those skill are used in the institute to resolve whether those skills enhance the leadership experience of students. The results of this study provide information which can assist learner dealings partakers who are looking for conduct to help learner make the correlation linking the co-curricular and curricular leadership experience. 
 A sample size of 200 subjects was chosen from 10 high schools in the Frontier Region Kohat on the root of opportunity sampling method. A questionnaire of five points Likert Scale after in quest of due authorization from Principals and Head Masters was used to reach to the in detail of the observable fact. Numerical techniques Mean, Percentage and Standard Deviation were run to examine the composed data. The investigator analyzes the connection between co-curricular involvement and its positive role creating qualities of leadership among secondary school students.
 Research also reveals that CCA create self confidence among students and makes students more popular. Culmination from this study endow with confirmation of the worth of co-curricular leadership training and its contact on curricular experience. 
 Finally it was concluded that many students who were engaged in sports and co-curricular activities also reported being engaged in leadership positions within their team, club, or organization serving in lead roles such as, captain of a sport team. It was also came in knowledge that those students who participated in these activities are bold and they are ready to face any type of challenge in future. 
 It is further added that current prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan was a sportsman and also leaded Pakistan’s cricket team and won world cricket cup in 1992.

Exploring Health and Wellness Peer Educators’ Growth in Socially Responsible Leadership

This study examined health and wellness peer educators’ learning outcomes using a socially responsible leadership conceptual framework. Data from a multi-institutional study were collected via a survey of 425 participants. Findings suggested peer educators gained outcomes of socially responsible leadership as a result of their cocurricular involvement. Additionally, academic class standing, motivations for becoming a peer educator, and prior leadership competencies predicted outcomes of socially responsible leadership. Implications for student affairs practice are included.

Pharmacy Phamilies as a Component of a Co-Curricular Program for Doctor of Pharmacy Students.

Pharmacy student professional growth depends heavily on co-curricular involvement, in addition to classroom learning. Co-curricular programming can be supported by an innovative structure using self-directed learning and a unique mentorship process. A novel faculty and peer mentorship structure, called Pharmacy Phamilies, is integrated into a credited Lifelong Learning course that spans the 4 years of our PharmD program. This course is comprised of student-chosen activities to meet requirements in six domains, as well as reflections and other assignments. Recent changes include a new Pharmacy Phamily group reflection process and the use of co-curricular logs to document student activities. Based on a student survey, the majority of respondents were satisfied with their level of engagement with their Pharmacy Phamily (72%) and with their advisor (76%). The majority also reported that the Pharmacy Phamily program is meeting its goals of establishing a sense of community at the college (76%) and enhancing students' professional development (72%). A total of 86% of students preferred the Pharmacy Phamily group reflection over the former six individual reflections and 93% of students agreed the co-curricular log was a useful tool to document involvement in professional activities. Pharmacy Phamilies and peer-reviewed, group reflection can provide an inclusive structure of support and social connection for students at the college of pharmacy.

How First-Year College Women Construct Identity Through Cocurricular Involvement

This ethnographic study relies on a combination of participant observation and 43 in-depth interviews to explore how first-year college women construct identities in cocurricular settings. Findings indicate that students relied primarily on two gendered identity strategies to engage with peers in cocurricular groups. Some women presented as nurturing caregivers while others presented as amicable nice girls. Although these strategies facilitated a degree of inclusion, they also carried significant social and emotional costs. Efforts to police these gendered identities restricted college women to narrow styles of self-presentation. As peers demanded consistent performance of femininity, women were pushed to the margins of cocurricular groups.

THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP EDUCATION AND CO-CURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP OUTCOMES IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS An Exploratory Study

Socially responsible leadership (SRL) is a “purposeful, collaborative, values-based process that results in positive social change” (Komives, Wagner, & Associates, 2009, p. xii).This approach to leadership focuses on creating leaders that are capable of tackling the predicted wicked problems the world will face in the next few decades. As the number of leadership education programs continue to grow throughout higher education, it is important to assess the impact leadership education and co-curricular programs are having on students. Utilizing the Multi- Institutional Study of Leadership, this study aimed to better understand whether higher education leadership development, community service and study abroad programs are successfully developing students with self- perceived socially responsible leadership.

THE IMPACTS OF CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN FATA

The study was aimed to analyze the relationship of co-curricular activities with students’ physical and mental health of Male Secondary School students of FATA. A sample size of 200 respondents was selected on the basis of random sampling technique. A questionnaire of five points Likert Scale after seeking due permission from Principals and Head Masters was used to reach to the in-depth of the phenomena. Statistical techniques Mean, Percentage and Standard Deviation were run to analyze the collected data. The researcher analyzed the relationship between co-curricular involvement and its positive impacts on students’ health performances. Finally it was determined that co-curricular activities have a long-lasting connection with physical and mental health of secondary schools students.

Assessing the Co-Curriculum by Mapping Student Organization Involvement to Curricular Outcomes Using Mixed Methods

Objective. To use institution-specific curricular outcomes as a framework to map skill development opportunities available through cocurricular involvement in pharmacy student organizations. Methods. Participants completed a modified Extracurricular Involvement Inventory individually to measure the intensity of their involvement in each student organization. Participants also completed the Co-Curriculum Outcomes Assessment Mapping Survey (COAMS) instrument as a group to indicate what skills (ie, curricular outcomes) they developed through involvement in a student organization and student organization activities, programs, and events, and to provide examples of these skills. Data sources were triangulated to map skill development opportunities in the co-curriculum to curricular outcomes. Results. The COAMS identified all curricular outcomes as skills students have the opportunity to develop through student organization involvement in the co-curriculum. Communication was the most common skill identified. Other common skills included professionalism and ethical behavior, collaboration and influence, and in-depth knowledge and proficient skills. A co-curriculum heat map was used to illustrate the degree to which students reported these skills were emphasized through student organization involvement in the co-curriculum. Conclusion. Evaluation of activities in the context of curricular outcomes can provide a more comprehensive understanding of how the co-curriculum complements the curriculum, thereby complying with accreditation expectations. Cocurricular mapping provides valuable information regarding student skill development opportunities to multiple stakeholders (eg, students, faculty, curriculum leadership). This process can be applied to diverse programs, adapted to measure institution-specific experiences, and measure various constructs of interest.

Identifying and Mapping Skill Development Opportunities Through Pharmacy Student Organization Involvement

Objective. To describe a process for identifying skills that students can gain through co-curricular involvement and to map these skills to curricular outcomes. Methods. This pilot study used a mixed-methods approach involving document reviews, student involvement surveys, and focus groups/interviews to evaluate skill development opportunities in three pharmacy student organizations. Investigators reviewed key documents (eg, student organization websites, annual review forms) to identify skills emphasized by the organization. Student participants completed modified Extracurricular Involvement Inventory surveys to measure the intensity of their student organization involvement. Two student focus groups, one student leader focus group and one general student member focus group, were held for each student organization. Interviews were conducted with each student organization's faculty advisor. Data sources were triangulated to identify and map skill development opportunities to program core competencies. Results. Six of nine core competencies were identified as skills pharmacy students can develop through involvement in the pilot student organizations. All three organizations provided opportunities for members to develop communication skills and in-depth knowledge and proficient skills of the discipline of pharmacy. Two organizations provided opportunities for students to develop collaboration skills. Conclusion. A mixed-methods approach can be used to identify and map skills that students can develop through co-curricular involvement. This approach provides several advantages: objective evaluation and triangulation of skill development opportunities, evaluation of students' involvement, and identification of linkages between the co-curriculum and curriculum in the context of curricular outcomes.

Impact of co-curricular involvement on academic success of pharmacy students

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between participation in co-curricular activities and academic performance of pharmacy students enrolled in a traditional PharmD program. MethodsPharmacy students self-reported their activities in an online portfolio, allowing calculation of equivalent hours spent in co-curricular pursuits in a given academic year for each student during the six year period. Inferential statistics were used to elucidate the differences in co-curricular engagement by student rank, progression status, and leadership experience as well as differences in grade point average (GPA) by level of co-curricular participation and leadership experience. ResultsParticipation in co-curricular activities was less for students earning a deficiency than students with satisfactory academic performance. Students who were very engaged in co-curricular activities earned higher GPAs on average and were more likely to hold a leadership position. Leaders earned higher GPAs, were less likely to incur academic deficiencies, and were more involved in all types of co-curricular activities than students who did not hold a leadership position. ConclusionsThe results of this study offer evidence in support of the importance of co-curricular involvement to the development of the whole pharmacy student, including academic success. The provision of co-curricular opportunities by pharmacy programs provides personal and professional development opportunities to students and supports deep learning associated with improved academic performance and overall success.

Canadian Undergraduates' Reports of Co-curricular Involvement Across the Degree

The present study investigated university student beliefs and behaviours with respect to co-curricular activities among incoming (n=983), mid-degree (n=173), and graduating (n=1006) students. When asked about their most significant learning experiences during their time at university, graduating students were more likely to report on co-curricular activities than those related to coursework. However, participation in co-curricular activities was not related to graduating students’ feelings of preparedness to undertake a job search or apply for post-graduate education. Incoming students reported clear intentions to participate in some types of co-curricular activities (e.g., volunteering, intramural sports, clubs) but were more uncertain about others (e.g., events or activities related to global awareness, or diversity and inclusion). Parallel findings were observed with respect to actual co-curricular involvement among mid-degree and graduating students. This research is discussed in the context of university efforts to promote co-curricular activities to students in order to develop career ready transferrable skills, and the relevance of particular patterns of involvement to the current job market.