FOSTERING COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE (CoP): THE IMPACT ON SELF-EFFICACY AND BELONGING OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Location
SU-216
Department
Other
Abstract
In 2021, 2.3 million students dropped out of college which is a 3.6% increase from the previous year– resulting in a 40.4 million Some College, No Credential (SCNC) population. Despite various retention strategies, the rising SCNC population persists. We hypothesize that increasing community of practice (CoP) through extracurricular activities could boost self-efficacy and belonging, thus enhancing retention. A community of practice is a group of people with a shared passion or concern who interact regularly in a common endeavor. CoP can be utilized to significantly increase a student's sense of belonging and self-efficacy (confidence in one's ability to execute a course of action to deal with a prospective situation), leading to greater academic success. To test this, we conducted a survey and case-study interviews using the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) method. We conducted a survey of 349 students from community colleges and 4-year institutions. Our results suggest that engagement in extracurricular or co-curricular activities through community of practice empowers students' self-efficacy and sense of belonging; however, many undergraduate students, especially from community colleges, diverge from their goals due to external barriers. We were also able to identify barriers that prevent college students from fully committing to academics and participating in extracurricular or co-curricular activities. Interestingly, regardless of the barriers, some students are willing to participate and take on more responsibilities in their community if given the chance to develop CoP. The 5 case study interviews investigated how students grew their skills by immersing themselves amongst like-minded individuals in their community who share similar experiences and goals. Students who engage in these extra and co-curricular activities found that they experienced positive impacts in their lives—ranging from increased confidence, increased professional aptitude, and an increased sense of community. Identifying the factors in co-curricular and extracurricular engagement that cultivate CoP can aid colleges in providing spaces for developing these communities and increasing retention. These findings underscore the potential of CoP cultivated from extracurricular and cocurricular activities to provide a pathway toward improving academic persistence, success, and retention.
Faculty Sponsor
Doris Espiritu
FOSTERING COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE (CoP): THE IMPACT ON SELF-EFFICACY AND BELONGING OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
SU-216
In 2021, 2.3 million students dropped out of college which is a 3.6% increase from the previous year– resulting in a 40.4 million Some College, No Credential (SCNC) population. Despite various retention strategies, the rising SCNC population persists. We hypothesize that increasing community of practice (CoP) through extracurricular activities could boost self-efficacy and belonging, thus enhancing retention. A community of practice is a group of people with a shared passion or concern who interact regularly in a common endeavor. CoP can be utilized to significantly increase a student's sense of belonging and self-efficacy (confidence in one's ability to execute a course of action to deal with a prospective situation), leading to greater academic success. To test this, we conducted a survey and case-study interviews using the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) method. We conducted a survey of 349 students from community colleges and 4-year institutions. Our results suggest that engagement in extracurricular or co-curricular activities through community of practice empowers students' self-efficacy and sense of belonging; however, many undergraduate students, especially from community colleges, diverge from their goals due to external barriers. We were also able to identify barriers that prevent college students from fully committing to academics and participating in extracurricular or co-curricular activities. Interestingly, regardless of the barriers, some students are willing to participate and take on more responsibilities in their community if given the chance to develop CoP. The 5 case study interviews investigated how students grew their skills by immersing themselves amongst like-minded individuals in their community who share similar experiences and goals. Students who engage in these extra and co-curricular activities found that they experienced positive impacts in their lives—ranging from increased confidence, increased professional aptitude, and an increased sense of community. Identifying the factors in co-curricular and extracurricular engagement that cultivate CoP can aid colleges in providing spaces for developing these communities and increasing retention. These findings underscore the potential of CoP cultivated from extracurricular and cocurricular activities to provide a pathway toward improving academic persistence, success, and retention.