Alexander Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement and Academic success

The Impact of Student Involvement on Academic Success: Alexander Astin’s Theory

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The Impact of Student Involvement on Academic Success: Alexander Astin’s Theory

The theory of student involvement developed by Alexander Astin is widely accepted in higher education. According to this theory, students who are more active in their institutional and personal life are more likely to achieve academically and personally. He contends that students more engaged in their institutional and personal life are more likely to acquire academic success-related skills and competencies, such as analytical analysis, communications, management, and personal accountability.

The primary components of Astin’s thesis are institutional and personal involvement. Institutional involvement refers to a student’s level of interaction with the institution’s surroundings. This involves participation in academic activities such as attending courses, engaging in class discussions, and contacting instructors for assistance. Involvement in extracurricular activities refers to participating in organizations and clubs, athletics, community service, etc. On the other hand, personal involvement refers to how much a student is involved in academic and non-academic pursuits outside the classroom (Astin, 1984). This includes participation in personal activities like hobbies and interests and involvement in communal activities like volunteerism, internships, and work-study programs.

This review analyzes the literature based on this theory’s constructs, i.e., student involvement (academic and personal) and its association with achievement (academic and personal). A comprehensive review of articles published between 2018 and 2023 offers a contemporary perception of the topic and highlights the theory’s significance in the modern world. As such, it recommends stakeholders think of innovative ways to foster student involvement as it is strongly associated with their success.

Literature Review

The majority of researchers believe that Astin’s theory is beneficial in predicting academic performance. An article by Delfino (2019) found positive correlations between behavioral, emotional, and cognitive activities and academic achievement, such as grades in the Faculty of Education at Partido State University using a questionnaire created by their teachers. The data were analyzed using mean and ranking, Pearson moment correlation, and multiple regression. The results gathered from the surveys were validated utilizing a discussion group. The employed approach of analysis was descriptive-correlational.

Similarly, a study conducted by (GUNUC, 2014) Glapaththi et al. (2019) found a statistically substantial and robust positive correlation between student involvement and academic accomplishment. However, results varied from Delfino’s study in behavioral engagement. While cognitive involvement was found to be strongly related with academic achievement, behavioral engagement had the worst correlation. Campus involvement has a more significant association than class engagement, suggesting the significance of a sense of belonging and esteem within the academic setting. Researchers collected primary data using quantitative and qualitative methods for the research. Combining surveys and interviews, the data-collecting process adopted a hybrid approach. In addition, they utilized independent sample T-tests to compare the levels of student participation at the two universities.

Furthermore, researchers have found a relatively robust and positive association between student involvement and GPA (a strong indicator of academic achievement), with behavioral engagement having the strongest correlation, followed by cognitive engagement and emotional engagement (Lei et al., 2018). The article describes a meta-analysis that analyzed data from 69 independent studies with a total of 196,473 individuals to examine the association between student involvement and academic accomplishment. Those findings are also supported by Wara, Aloka, & Odongo (2018); they also found cognitive engagement strongly predicted academic success among secondary school students. It was discovered that critical thinking, in-class idea analysis, and an emphasis on serious studying were helpful in engaging students. Using questionnaires and interview schedules, they analyze it by gathering data from 312 students, 11 principals, and 11 guidance and counseling instructors among secondary school students in Kenya. They assessed the data using Pearson’s Product correlation, regression analysis, and theme analysis. The relationship between student involvement and academic accomplishment was assessed with a particular focus on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement. Al-Bahadli, (2020) also discovered a positive correlation between student involvement and academic accomplishment, suggesting that cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement significantly affects students’ grades and attendance.

Another study was conducted by Wang et al., (2019) to examine the reciprocal relationships between fulfilling basic psychological needs at school (BPNSS), behavioral engagement, and academic progress in Chinese elementary school students. Using a longitudinal approach, 627 kids in grades 3 and 4 completed BPNSS and behavioral engagement assessments in the middle of four consecutive semesters. Consistent with past research, the study indicated that behavior engagement and academic achievement supported each other. In addition, academic grades predicted later behavioral involvement, lending credence to a model demonstrating reciprocal relationships.

According to Korpershoek et al. (2020), there is a minor positive association between a student’s feeling of belonging school community and their academic achievement. Students who truly feel accepted, respected, engaged, and supported by schoolmates are more likely to attain outstanding academic outcomes (for course grades; and, to a lesser extent, for standardized test scores). In addition, school attachment was negatively correlated with absence and dropout rates, showing that students who do not feel connected to their educational institution are more inclined to miss courses and potentially drop out of school. The meta-analysis used 82 previous research published between 2000 and 2018.

The aspects of adaptive coping, academic engagement, and academic success positively correlated. In contrast, maladaptive coping was adversely associated with academic achievement but not with any dimension of academic engagement. According to Vizoso, Rodriguez, & Arias-Gundin (2018), academic engagement factors influenced the association between adaptive coping and educational success. They examined the relationship between coping strategies (adaptive or maladaptive), academic involvement aspects (vigour, devotion, and absorption), and academic achievement among Spanish university undergraduates. The study design and statistical methodologies are suitable for addressing the questions and hypotheses being investigated.

Figure 1: Three Aspects Uniformly Mentioned in the Literature, Made by author (2023)

Martínez et al. (2019) identified a correlation between academic involvement, psychological capital (efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience), and academic achievement. The authors discovered that psychological capital resources fully mediated the association between academic involvement and achievement. This finding implies that academically engaged students are more likely to possess greater psychological resources, which positively affects their academic achievement. The authors utilized the Conservation of Resources theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Broaden-and-Build Model to conceive and empirically evaluate these connections. The information was gathered from two institutions, one in Spain and the other in Portugal. 632 undergraduates who completed self-report questionnaires measuring academic involvement and Psychological Capital. Universities gave Grade Point Averages to measure academic success after the test session.

Another research by Gutierrez & Tomas (2019) discovered in independent research that teacher autonomy support had substantial positive consequences on academic success, mediated by self-efficacy and engagement. The relationship between self-efficacy and subjective well-being was also direct. And Self-efficacy, cognitive engagement, and emotional involvement were positively connected with grades. In addition to standard academic results such as grades, the author emphasizes the significance of evaluating subjective well-being as a measure of success. The data on 870 students from the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, were analyzed using a theoretically-based structural equation model.

A Few Contradictions Persist

There is no denying that the theory has found exceptional support in the current literature. Most of the studies have discussed engagement (at the level of cognitive, behavior and emotional) and have found positive association with students’ accomplishments. Nevertheless, not all research has discovered a correlation between student involvement and academic achievement. For instance, Amoah et al. (2021) found behavioral, emotional, and cognitive involvement did not predict academic accomplishment. However, interpersonal skills, autonomy, clear feedback, high expectations, and complex assignments did.

Another investigation by Abid & Akhtar (2020) found a weak or negative association between academic involvement and accomplishment. Yet, this conclusion contradicts previous research demonstrating a good correlation between academic involvement and achievement. The study also revealed that the father’s educational attainment substantially impacted students’ perceptions of academic engagement, but the mother’s educational attainment had no significant effect. It also exhibited the role of gender in influencing students’ engagement as girls showed a higher academic engagement compared to boys.

The importance of student involvement in predicting academic success and other beneficial academic outcomes has been demonstrated by prior studies. Yet, student participation has been critiqued for being overly vague and lacking a precise definition. Reeve, Cheon, & Jang (2020) address these issues by presenting a revised model of student engagement that incorporates a fourth component in addition to three discussed dimensions, i.e., cognitive, behavioral, and emotional. The authors advocated that agentic engagement be introduced as a new component of engagement and that the function of emotional engagement is reevaluated. Secondary-level students self-reported four aspects of their course-specific classroom engagement over an 18-week semester; these results were used to anticipate their objectively-scored course accomplishment and end-of-semester continues to gain in perceived student achievement and perception autonomy-supportive teaching. Agentic involvement explains independent variation in academic development and that emotional engagement should be reconceived. These findings significantly impact educators and politicians seeking to increase student engagement and encourage excellent academic performance. Further study is require ed to replicate these outcomes and further investigate the roles of agentic and emotional involvement in the engagement-to-progress relationship.

Galappaththiet al. (2020) have found gaps in empirical studies that examine the connection between student involvement and academic accomplishment. Limitation of a sample size to a single university or institute, measurement of school performance using a single subject outcome, the absence of qualitative approaches to measuring, the inability to include students from all years and faculties, research studies in a single nation, the use of incentives to promote survey participation, and the impact of information technology are examples of these gaps. The authors identified these gaps through secondary data collecting and a comprehensive literature assessment of 22 studies. The authors advise that future research address the observed gaps better to comprehend the connection between student involvement and academic accomplishment.

Conclusion

Many studies have established favorable relationships between student participation and academic accomplishment, with the association between cognitive engagement and academic achievement being the greatest. In addition, the analysis finds a weak positive association between students’ sense of belonging at school and their academic success. Academic participation, psychological capital, and academic accomplishment have also been linked by other research. In contrast, several researchers have identified a weak or negative correlation between pupil involvement and educational achievement, with variables including autonomy, clear feedback, high expectations, challenging assignments, and parental education levels. Overall, the literature demonstrates that Astin’s hypothesis is helpful for predicting academic achievement and emphasizes the significance of student engagement in supporting academic success. At the same time, it calls for further research to fill the existing gaps in the literature. Doing this will garner better support for the theory, while motivating educators to think of appropriate strategies to enhance students’ involvement in academic and personal dimensions.

References

Abid, N., & Mumtaz, A. (2020). Relationship between Academic Engagement and Academic Achievement: An Empirical Evidence of Secondary School Students. Journal of Educational Research, 23(1).

Al-Bahadli, K. H. (2020). THE CORRELATION BETWEEN IRAQI EFL COLLEGE STUDENTS ENGAGEMENT AND THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. International Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 10(02), 247–257. https://doi.org/10.37648/ijrssh.v10i02.021

Amoah, S. O., Britwum, F., Acheampong, H. Y., & Sefah, E. A. (2021). Analysis of the relationship between students engagement and academic achievement: Impact on college of education students in Ghana. International Journal of Educational Research and Studies, 3(4), 4–12.

Astin, A. W. (1984). Student Involvement: A Developmental Theory for Higher Education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25, 297-308.

Delfino, A. P. (2019). STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS OF PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY. Asian Journal of University Education, 15(3), 42–55. https://doi.org/10.24191/ajue.v15i3.05

Galappaththi, I. I. L., Dissanayake, R., Welgama, T. W., Somachandara, U. A., Weerarathna, R. S., & Pathirana, G. Y. (2020). Identifying the Empirical Gaps in the Relationships between Student Engagement and Their Academic Achievement; Future Research. South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.9734/sajsse/2019/v5i430150

Glapaththi, I., Dissanayake, R., Welgama, T., Somachandara, U., Weerarathna, R. S., & Pathirana, G. Y. (2019). A Study on the Relationship between Student Engagement and Their Academic Achievements. Asian Social Science, 15(11), 1. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v15n11p1

Gutiérrez, M., & Tomás, J. M. (2019). The role of perceived autonomy support in predicting university students’ academic success mediated by academic self-efficacy and school engagement. Educational Psychology, 39(6), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2019.1566519

Korpershoek, H., Canrinus, E. T., Fokkens-Bruinsma, M., & de Boer, H. (2019). The relationships between school belonging and students’ motivational, social-emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes in secondary education: a meta-analytic review. Research Papers in Education, 35(6), 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2019.1615116

Lei, H., Cui, Y., & Zhou, W. (2018). Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 46(3), 517–528. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.7054

Martínez, I. M., Youssef-Morgan, C. M., Chambel, M. J., & Marques-Pinto, A. (2019). Antecedents of academic performance of university students: academic engagement and psychological capital resources. Educational Psychology, 39(8), 1047–1067. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2019.1623382

Reeve, J., Cheon, S. H., & Jang, H. (2020). How and why students make academic progress: Reconceptualizing the student engagement construct to increase its explanatory power. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 62, 101899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101899

Vizoso, C., Rodríguez, C., & Arias-Gundín, O. (2018). Coping, academic engagement and performance in university students. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(7), 1515–1529. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1504006

Wang, Y., Tian, L., & Scott Huebner, E. (2019). Basic psychological needs satisfaction at school, behavioral school engagement, and academic achievement: Longitudinal reciprocal relations among elementary school students. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 56, 130–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.01.003

Wara, E., Aloka, P. J., & Odongo, B. C. (2018). Relationship between Cognitive Engagement and Academic Achievement among Kenyan Secondary School Students. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 9(2), 61–72. https://doi.org/10.2478/mjss-2018-0026