Modeling extracurricular activity participation with physical and mental health in college students over time

Understanding college success through the lens of first-generation students in China: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Background

First-generation college students face unique challenges in navigating the higher education system, and understanding their perceptions of college success is crucial for providing appropriate support.

Objective

This qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions of 15 first-generation college students regarding college success and to identify the factors they consider important for achieving success in college.

Method

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants, and the data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Results

This study explores the varied perceptions of success among first-generation college students (FGCS) through five themes: Academic Achievement, Personal Development, Personal Well-being, Personal Fulfillment, and Career Success.

Conclusion

This study provides valuable insights into the perceptions of first-generation college students regarding college success. The identified themes shed light on the multifaceted nature of success in higher education. These findings have implications for supporting first-generation college students and developing targeted interventions to enhance their overall success and well-being.

Potentials of arts education initiatives for promoting emotional wellbeing of Chinese university students

The present study explores the intricate dynamics influencing the self-efficacy of Chinese university students through the interplay of participation in artistic activities, positive psychological capital, and emotional intelligence. In the context of technological advancements and various challenges post pandemic, this study delves into the multifaceted aspects of university life, where arts education plays a pivotal role in addressing students' emotional needs. By integrating emotional intelligence with self-efficacy, this study underscores the positive impact of artistic engagement on self-efficacy, while emphasizing on the transformative power of these pursuits. Also, this study establishes that the optimism and resilience contribute to this relationship by considering the mediating role of positive psychological capital. The moderating influence of emotional intelligence in the complex dynamics between arts education and positive psychological capital is another concern, thereby emphasizing the nuanced role of emotional intelligence. With a structured set of questions that were administered to 673 participants with 93.61% recovery rate, this study performs the Cronbach's α-test, validation factor, and several related tests in SPSSStatistics 29.0, bootstrap, and AMOS 25.0 software. Current results shows the importance of a holistic approach in Chinese institutions. With a focus on promoting artistic engagement to enhance students' self-efficacy, this study determines the profound impact of arts education on students' overall wellbeing and educational experience. In conclusion, this research highlights the constructive impact of artistic engagement on the self-efficacy of Chinese university students. Chinese institutions should encourage a varied range of artistic engagements as a response to the contemporary challenges confronted by their students.

Extracurricular activities in medical education: an integrative literature review

BACKGROUND

The importance of extracurricular activities (EAs) has been emphasized in medical education. These activities could enhance medical students' emotional and physical health and afford them developmental opportunities. Despite the growing amount of research related to this theme, few studies review and synthesize the existing literature. This study aims to provide an understanding of the educational implications of EAs in medical colleges and constructs an integrated conceptual framework concerning their types and learning outcomes by literature review.

METHODS

An integrative literature review was conducted following Torraco's method, with the aim to generate a new framework for the given topic. The authors utilized Scopus and PubMed as databases, using search terms "extracurricular," "medical," and "students." Initially, titles and abstracts were screened to include relevant studies, and the researchers verified the eligibility of the articles by following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of the 263 articles identified, 64 empirical studies were selected for further review.

RESULTS

EAs in undergraduate medical education can be classified into direct extracurricular activities and indirect extracurricular activities, the latter of which is sorted into nine sub-categories. We identified seven main categories regarding the learning outcomes of EAs. In addition to general activities (e.g., pro-social activities, team sports), some distinctive activities such as research have been largely addressed in previous studies. The results of EAs were discussed in relation to academic growth, career development, and psychological experiences.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identified the types and learning outcomes of EAs in the context of medical education, thereby suggesting ways to improve the quality of EAs and maximize their educational effects.

Optimal Steps for designing and implementing the extracurriculars through the integrative medical approach

Extracurriculars are those that fall outside the scope of the academic curriculum. The purpose of the work is to outline the steps of planning extracurriculars, practice these steps in the medical program, and evaluate these steps.

Methods

Using Kern's steps with some modifications, we did some extracurricular reforms. Assessment of the current situation/needs and identification of gaps have been occurred by a questionnaire that revealed low students' satisfaction (36.1%) about the current extracurriculars with points of weakness that have been addressed in the improvement plan. A list of extracurriculars was prepared and aligned with modules and learning outcomes. Allocation of resources and implementation of these extracurriculars were performed. The evaluation was done through a questionnaire that was fulfilled by 404 students.

Results

Students' satisfaction was 66.8% in the second questionnaire compared to 36% in the initial questionnaire with a significant association. Further analysis of the respondents who revealed satisfaction showed that 95 out of 140 (67.8%) were high-grade achievers, 88 out of 134 (65.7%) for moderate, and 87 out of 130 (66.9%) in low-grade achievers. A comparison of the student's satisfaction in the three phases revealed a significant p-value (0.004), but no significance in students' satisfaction within phases of the program between males and females.

Conclusion

Well-structured extracurriculars might contribute to the achievement of the mission, vision, and goals of the program. Extracurricular activities might be flexible and undergo periodic changes related to the nature of the curriculum. Following the cycle of developing extracurricular activities in designing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting, the extracurricular activities will be more efficient in enhancing the learning climate and making the learning process more enjoyable, especially in a solid medical integrated curriculum.