Extracurricular activities what is the impact on students

Extra-curricular activities: what is the impact on students' motivations, aspirations and selfefficacy? Teri-Lisa Griffiths and Jill Dickinson Department of Law & Criminology Acknowledgements: D&S LTA Student Experience Fund

Background & Rationale • Lawyer In London • Disciplinary Context • Literature gap – importance of extra-curricular activities (ECAs) – no existing measure of impact • Funding – Department of Law & Criminology Learning & Teaching Research Cluster – D&S Student Experience Project

Key points • Definitions: – ECAs (Thompson et al, 2013) – Self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997) • Initial research findings – small-scale focus groups (Dickinson & Griffiths 2017) – Extra-curricular activities being 'Transforming experiences' for students? (Pajares, 1996) • Preliminary research findings – significant link between ECAs and higher self-efficacy – not assume causal effect

Aims & Objectives • Need to discover stronger link between involvement in ECAs and self-efficacy over time • Expanded to obtain: – representative sample; & – time 1 & time 2 data

Participant Population • Sheffield Hallam University students – all levels – all courses – both campuses • ECA involvement not a pre-requisite • Challenges of engaging students. . .

Involvement of Student Researchers • Team of 6 • Tasks: – Disseminate survey – Input data – Recruitment for focus groups – Lead focus groups – Data analysis • Developmental opportunities

Why I became involved in the project ØWanted to gain work experience in the research area ØTo improve my employability skills Senior Student Researcher Kamile Bagdanaviciute Psychology How I got involved in the project Lead the student research team Increased the awareness of the project Helped to promote and run focus groups Extra-curricular activities I did during university Went to Shodokan Aikido dojo Volunteered for Sheffield On a Plate Went to Salsa and Lindy Hop classes Part-time work at UK Bungee Club Muay Thai Boxing

Bessie Oxley A Bit About Me o In 2 nd year Psychology at SHU. o Work part-time in Sheffield. o Keen interest in neuroscience and research. • • How I have developed with the project so far o Confirmation of all my aims for involvement in the project. o Learnt more about self-efficacy. • o Improved my own self-efficacy. o Met new people. • o Opened up doors to other • opportunities. • • Why I Got Involved Interested in the scientific research process. Gain experience in a different type of work environment to my current part time job. Develop skills associated with research projects (Organization, problem solving & Time management). Interested in research as a potential future career path. How I have Been Involved in The Project Recruitment of participants to take complete the questionnaires. Inputting data from Questionnaires. Promoting, participating in and helping to run focus groups. Sending reminder emails for second time completion of the questionnaires. Attending and supporting the lead researchers in the faculty Conference.

Why I became involved in the project To gain experience of the research process Help make decisions about further study/career How I got involved in the project Student Researcher Zoe Rodgers Criminology Data collection Data inputting Promoting focus group sessions/research project Sending emails for 2 nd response Supporting conference presentation About me Currently a 2 nd year Criminology student Crim pal leader for 1 st year Criminology students During my 1 st year I acted as a Course Rep for the Criminology department

ABOUT ME 1 st class honors psychology graduate Hoping to go on to study a clinical psychology master’s degree STUDENT RESEARCHER ALEX BREDICE Worked as a mentor for L 4 psychology students in my 2 nd year WHY I BECAME A STUDENT RESEARCHER FOR THE PROJECT To further enhance my research methods and processes experiences To increase my research confidence To enhance highly relevant skills for my master’s degree and future career HOW I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT Psychology graduate Data collection Helping to run focus groups Data input Data analysis (thematic analysis) Getting involved with today's conference

Preliminary findings so far. . . • Time 1: – approximately 300 • Time 2: – tbc, ongoing • Themes emerging: – Minimising experiences – Exploring options – 'Spectrum' of ECAs – Values – Barriers (we'll come back to this!)

Over to you! • How can we all encourage students to engage with extra-curricular activities? – types of ECAs – promotion – barriers for students – barriers for you

• Teri-Lisa Griffiths – teri-lisa. griffiths@shu. ac. uk – @Terilisa. Careers • Jill Dickinson – jill. dickinson@shu. ac. uk – @Jill_Dickinson 1 #facfor 18