SDLSSC Assignment For Blessing Mubure

NAME : BLESSING MUBURE
REG NUMBER : R2422095
PROGRAM : ACTUARIAL SCIENCE (HACS)
MODULE : SDLSSC101
ASSIGNMENT QUESTION : Using Astin’s Theory of Involvement , discuss how student

involvement in different institutional activities would impact them in their physical , social ,
intellectual and spiritual development .
INTRODUCTION
Benjamin Franklin once said , tell me and I forget . Teach me and I remember . Involve me and I learn
. This shows that student involvement in institutional activities plays a crucial role in their
development . Using Astin’s theory , I will explore how involvement contribute to student’s physical ,
social , intellectual and spiritual growth .I will examine the effects of academic clubs , cultural and
diversity groups , sports , volunteer organisations and spiritual groups so as to come up with an in
depth understanding of the potential benefits and challenges that arise from being involved .
Astin (2020 ; p142-156) described involvement as the extent to which students engage in activities
provided by the institution , which in turn influences their academic perfomance , social interaction
and personal development . Another definition by Tinto(2019) “ involvement is the process by which
individuals become integrated into the social and academic fabric of an institution , developing a
sense of belonging , commitment and identity through participating” . Basing from what I have read it
can be undrstood that involvement is engaging and participating so as to belong to a particular group .
Hartup (2020;p816) defines social development as “the acquisition of social skills , knowledge and
attributes that enable individuals to form and maintain relationships”. Selman(2020) suggested that it
is the progressive expansion of an individual’s capacity for social understanding , mutual respect and
cooperate relationships , fostered through interactions . I can conclude that social development is the
acquisition of the ability to behave in accordance with social expectations .
Alexander w. Astin was a founding director of the Higher Education Research Institute and has writen
broadly on student development . Astin’s theory (1984) on student involvement explains how
desirable outcomes for institutions of higher education are viewed in relation to how students change
and develop as a result of being involved co-curricularly . His theory apply in real life as we see
institutions have student organisations and clubs which encourage students to take part in extra-
curricular activities inorder to develop soft skills . Another application is community service i.e we
see students at UZ do 60 hours of community service every semester . His theory is supported by
Tinto(2020) which emphasizes the role of student involvement in reducing student attrition and
promoting relention . Pascarella and Terenzini (2020) confirms Astin’s theory , demostrating the
positive impact of student involvement on academic achievement and persistence .
Being involved in sports like basketball results in students having improved physical health (World
health org , 2020) social connections , enhanced teamwork , enhanced academic perfomance and also
career development . However sports have their drawbacks such as time management challenges , risk
of injuries eg sprains , psychological pressure for perfomance , financial constraints and depression
related to failure .
Involvement in volunteer activities provides students with communication skills (Bhandari , 2020) ,
networking opportunities , improves self esteem , helps students embrace their passion and feel a
sense of purpose . However , volunteer activities comes with exhaustion , limited recognition ,
financial constraints , time management challenges and lacks compensation .
Being involved in spiritual groups gives a sense of community , personal growth , emotional support ,
mental health benefits and enables social service . However they promote dogmatic thinking ,
financial exploitation , cult like behavior , manipulation and exclusivity leading to social isolation .
Academic clubs offers leadership , career preparation (NACE , 2020) , discovery new interest ,
sharpen skills and boosts confidence . However they lead to competition and pressure (Gould et al ;
2019) overcommitment causing stress , potential elitism , disturbs academic perfomance and requires
financial commitment .
Cultural and diversity groups lead to cultural awareness , community building , leadership
development , personal growth and networking opportunities . However , they may result in conflicts ,
exclusionary practices , communication barriers , tokenization and requires time .
In conclusion , we have seen that student involvement in instutional activities leads to spiritual ,
spiritual , physical intellectual and social development through activities such as sports , academic
clubs and spiritual groups . However this can lead to time management challenges and promote
dogmatic thinking .
REFERENCE LIST
Astin(2020) Student Involvement : A development theory for higher education . Journal of college
student development , 61(2) 143-156
Tinto(2019) Rethinking the role of involvement . Journal of College student retention : Research ,
theory and positive 21(1) 1-14
Selman(2020) The growth of interpersonal understanding : Development and educational implications

.Journal of education psychology 112(2) , 251-265
Hartput (2020) social development and peer relationships . In handbook of child psychology and
development science (pp. 815-838)
Pascarella and Terenzini (2020) how college affects students
World health organisation (WHO 2020) Physical development

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NAME : BLESSING MUBURE

REG NUMBER : R2422095

PROGRAM : ACTUARIAL SCIENCE (HACS)

ASSIGNMENT QUESTION : Using Astin’s Theory of Involvement , discuss how student

Selman(2020) The growth of interpersonal understanding : Development and educational implications

Pascarella and Terenzini (2020) how college affects students

World health organisation (WHO 2020) Physical development

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