ABSTRACT

Against the backdrop of a diverse and challenging Higher Education (HE) environment within the United Kingdom (UK), this paper extends existing debates around extracurricular activities (ECAs) and considers students’ engagement in ECAs within this context. Adopting a case study approach, and involving a team of student researchers, students’ perceptions of ECA-programmes at a post-1992 Higher Education Institution (HEI) are explored.

A total of 38 students took part in a series of six focus groups. The data collected was thematically analysed and two key themes emerged, namely: perceptions that there is a hierarchy of ECAs, and an enhanced awareness of the barriers to students’ participation in ECAs, including the potential for harm. This paper examines the prospective impact of these findings and makes recommendations for the future development of ECA-programmes within HEIs.

摘要

在英国 (UK) 多样化和具有挑战性的高等教育 (HE) 环境的背景下，本文扩展了围绕课外活动 (ECA) 的现有辩论，并在此背景下考虑了学生对 ECA 的参与。采用案例研究方法，并有一个学生研究团队参与，探讨了学生对 1992 年后高等教育机构 (HEI) 的 ECA 课程的看法。

共有 38 名学生参加了一系列六个焦点小组。对收集到的数据进行了专题分析，并出现了两个关键主题，即：对 ECA 存在等级的看法，以及对学生参与 ECA 的障碍（包括潜在伤害）的认识增强。本文研究了这些发现的预期影响，并为 HEI 内 ECA 计划的未来发展提出了建议。