Higher education student motivations for extracurricular activities: evidence from UK universities

Chapman, Gary; Emambocus, Washad; Obembe, Demola

Abstract

Higher education students are required to demonstrate value beyond their curricula achievements to secure jobs in increasingly competitive labour markets. Focusing on extracurricular activities as one-way students can do so, this paper uses a motivation perspective to examine what drives students to engage in extracurricular activities, and how student motivation varies between early and late-stage students. We conducted 46 in-depth interviews with students in a post-92 widening-participation university and found that four motivations – extrinsic, intrinsic, social, and pro-social – explained extracurricular participation. The motivations varied across types of extracurricular activities; extrinsic motivation was prominent for employment, academic, society and volunteering extracurriculars; intrinsic and social motivations were vital for sports and societies; and pro-social motivation for academic, volunteering, and society extracurriculars. Moreover, we found important differences between the motivations of early-year and final-year students, suggesting that motivations vary across the university journey. Our paper contributes to the literature on extracurricular activities within higher education by providing new evidence on the motivations that propel students to engage in (different) activities in the current marketised higher education environment and by identifying the level of study as an important boundary condition shaping motivations for extracurricular participation.

Citation

Chapman, G., Emambocus, W., & Obembe, D. (2023). Higher education student motivations for extracurricular activities: evidence from UK universities. Journal of Education and Work, 36(2), 138-152. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2023.2167955

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 10, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jan 27, 2023
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 16, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 2, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Education and Work
• Print ISSN: 1363-9080
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-9435
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 138-152
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2023.2167955
• Keywords: Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management; Public Administration; Education
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/16217707
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13639080.2023.2167955
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Education and Work on 27 January 2023, available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13639080.2023.2167955