Educating the whole person: Broad extracurricular involvement and prevalence of purpose and thriving among college students in China
College students in China can choose from a wide variety of university organized extra-curricular activities (EAs), which are intended to enrich and deepen the learning experience, and reflect an educational policy goal to cultivate the whole and well-rounded person. These activities are also consis...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1001766/full |
| _version_ | 1817971107397894144 |
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| author | Wenling Zhang Jenni Menon Mariano Mo Zhu Fei Jiang |
| author_facet | Wenling Zhang Jenni Menon Mariano Mo Zhu Fei Jiang |
| author_sort | Wenling Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | College students in China can choose from a wide variety of university organized extra-curricular activities (EAs), which are intended to enrich and deepen the learning experience, and reflect an educational policy goal to cultivate the whole and well-rounded person. These activities are also consistent with another policy goal, which is to foster optimal student outcomes like life purpose development. This study examined associations between EA involvement and life purpose and associations between EA involvement and thriving attributes of resourcefulness/resilience and life satisfaction among 332 undergraduate students enrolled at 20 universities across China. Measures of EA involvement, purpose resourcefulness/resilience, and life satisfaction were adapted to the Chinese culture, language, and student population. Four clusters of students emerged, representing varying degrees of well-roundedness according to their EA involvement. Patterns of associations examined between and within clusters supported the general hypothesis that more frequent and well-rounded EA involvement is positively associated with purpose and life-satisfaction, but not with resilience/resourcefulness. The significance of the findings for future research and practice are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T20:42:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7a910228b0bf4ef6bb04fa718adcfb0a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T20:42:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7a910228b0bf4ef6bb04fa718adcfb0a2022-12-22T02:30:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-11-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.10017661001766Educating the whole person: Broad extracurricular involvement and prevalence of purpose and thriving among college students in ChinaWenling Zhang0Jenni Menon Mariano1Mo Zhu2Fei Jiang3Center for Ideological and Political Education, Northeast Normal University, ChangChun, ChinaDepartment of Educational and Psychological Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United StatesCenter for Ideological and Political Education, Northeast Normal University, ChangChun, ChinaCenter for Ideological and Political Education, Northeast Normal University, ChangChun, ChinaCollege students in China can choose from a wide variety of university organized extra-curricular activities (EAs), which are intended to enrich and deepen the learning experience, and reflect an educational policy goal to cultivate the whole and well-rounded person. These activities are also consistent with another policy goal, which is to foster optimal student outcomes like life purpose development. This study examined associations between EA involvement and life purpose and associations between EA involvement and thriving attributes of resourcefulness/resilience and life satisfaction among 332 undergraduate students enrolled at 20 universities across China. Measures of EA involvement, purpose resourcefulness/resilience, and life satisfaction were adapted to the Chinese culture, language, and student population. Four clusters of students emerged, representing varying degrees of well-roundedness according to their EA involvement. Patterns of associations examined between and within clusters supported the general hypothesis that more frequent and well-rounded EA involvement is positively associated with purpose and life-satisfaction, but not with resilience/resourcefulness. The significance of the findings for future research and practice are discussed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1001766/fullpurpose in lifeextracurricular activitiescollege studentsChinaperson-centered analysis |
| spellingShingle | Wenling Zhang Jenni Menon Mariano Mo Zhu Fei Jiang Educating the whole person: Broad extracurricular involvement and prevalence of purpose and thriving among college students in China Frontiers in Psychology purpose in life extracurricular activities college students China person-centered analysis |
| title | Educating the whole person: Broad extracurricular involvement and prevalence of purpose and thriving among college students in China |
| title_full | Educating the whole person: Broad extracurricular involvement and prevalence of purpose and thriving among college students in China |
| title_fullStr | Educating the whole person: Broad extracurricular involvement and prevalence of purpose and thriving among college students in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Educating the whole person: Broad extracurricular involvement and prevalence of purpose and thriving among college students in China |
| title_short | Educating the whole person: Broad extracurricular involvement and prevalence of purpose and thriving among college students in China |
| title_sort | educating the whole person broad extracurricular involvement and prevalence of purpose and thriving among college students in china |
| topic | purpose in life extracurricular activities college students China person-centered analysis |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1001766/full |
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