‘It’s just like an extra string to your bow’: Exploring higher education students’ perceptions and experiences of extracurricular activity and employability

Abstract

Students' experience of higher education comprises not only their academic studies but also their extracurricular activities. This article reports on the findings from a mixed-methods research project, exploring in detail the nature and value of extracurricular activity engagement and the significance of institutional schemes encouraging extracurricular activity engagement, from a UK student perspective. Our findings reveal that many students are actively engaged in a variety of extracurricular activities and recognise their value for employability. However, fewer students are strategic in their patterns of involvement, which may be hindered by a lack of career planning. Furthermore, extracurricular activity engagement can be detrimental to academic study, and engagement alone does not assure employability benefits. However, structured institutional schemes encouraging extracurricular activity engagement may facilitate reflection, enabling students to make best use of their experiences for their future careers. Our research contributes to a growing body of research evidence on 'life-wide learning'.

Value-adding to health professional student placement experiences: Enhancing work readiness and employability through a rural community engagement program

“…This offers advantages that may be relevant for other undergraduate programs. When on professional placement, students' main priority is the acquisition of profession-specific clinical knowledge, skills and abilities (Qenani et al, 2014;Thompson et al, 2013). While these are essential to their future health professional roles, literature suggests that employers place value on students possessing a broader, more generic skill-set (Caballero & Walker, 2010;Caballero et al, 2011).…”

“…These broad skills valued by employers include resilience, teamwork, communication, personal and social qualities, and self-management (Caballero & Walker, 2010;Caballero, Walker, & Fuller-Tyszkiewicz., 2011;Hager & Holland, 2006;Messum, Wilkes, & Jackson, 2015;Walker et al, 2013). Generally students themselves also want to develop such skills (Thompson, Clark, Walker, & Whyatt, 2013) and thus enhance their employment prospects (Qenani, MacDougall, & Sexton, 2014).…”

“…Non-curriculum based programs are generally extracurricular and tend to focus more on 'life-wide learning' (Thompson et al, 2013), and are complementary rather than specific to an undergraduate degree (Clark, Marsden, Whyatt, Thompson, & Walker, 2015).…”

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES AS VALUE FOR THEIR PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE EMPLOYABILITY

“…When the students know that ECAs are included in their profile, their participation becomes more fervent. Thompson, Clark, Walker, and Whyatt (2013) admitted that although an excessively active ECA engagement can be detrimental to academic study where it is framed in structured institutional schemes, it would enable students to increase their employability. In Russia, research in university ECAs in foreign languages, as well as their effect on graduates' employability, is in its infancy, and corresponding publications are infrequent.…”

Does it do what it says on the tin? – Evaluation of an established UK University Employability Enhancement Award.

“…It is a structured program designed for students to develop their skills, to understand and recognise skills they've gained from their experiences, and to teach students how to articulate their skills and experiences for the graduate recruitment process and/or application for further study. At the heart of the majority of awards is self-reflection which is crucial in terms of a student's employability: self-reflection acts as a vehicle for developing and realising a student's capabilities from their engagement in extra-curricular activities (Thompson, Clark, Walker, & Whyatt, 2013) and within all areas of their life, in preparation for a complex and ever-changing world (Jackson, 2011). The Personal Skills Award aims to build a bridge between self-reflection and encouraging students to explore and engage in the opportunities around them, which in turn enhances their student experience at university.…”