Abstract:

Decades of research in higher education demonstrate a strong linkage of student integration to academic achievement and student commitment: two essential impact variables on the decision of leaving the university. Creating and sustaining networks through efforts such as peer mentoring programs; social support group intervention programs, or group interventions for students who may present with particular challenges, such as transition to encourage peer support is being recognised as equally important as academic support structures in educational institutions. Although studies shows PAL effectiveness for students’ academic commitment and learning achievement research that examines the impact of a PAL in which it is applied to both socio-psychological and academic content, aligned with students’ first-year university context and needs is missing. To this end, the present study builds upon an innovative holistic Integrated PAL program (iPAL) that includes several PAL approaches (peer mentoring, peer coaching, peer tutoring), as well as pre-induction social networking community building and orienting activities. iPAL was designed by using appreciative inquiry and with the intention to bridge the gap between academic and social integration, and equip students with the informal support, feedback and involvement needed to face the remaining university years with success. We examined the statistical relation between iPAL and (i) academic performance (AP), and cognitive (CC), emotional (EC), and behavioral commitment (BC). Data analysis was based on self-conducted survey assignments of 291 full-time first-year students enrolled in the faculty of Psychology and Educational Science at an Urban Flemish University in the capital of Belgium, Brussels. The Commitment Attitude Scale (3CAS) was used to assess the degree of commitment to the study and both GPA and weighted GPA was used to assess grade performance. Furthermore, by disaggregating our data on the basis of gender and age differences, this study wants to contribute to the empirical work of researchers that focuses on potential differences among subgroups of the first-year student population. Comparing the differences of iPAL participation for both age and gender subgroups, results clearly show that iPAL is most efficient for the younger and female subgroup in enhancing academic performance and cognitive, emotional and behavioral commitment. Furthermore, with regards to student organizational commitment, also interesting findings appeared: male participants compared with male non-participants have a higher level of affective/emotional commitment and cognitive commitment while female participants compared with femel non-participants have higher level of cognitive commitment and behavioural commitment. In the light of institutional governments with limited budgets, this cost-effective PAL program design and planning address social sustainability most effectively and contribute to the creation of social equality and inclusion in university environments.

Keywords:

matured students, gender, Social integration, academic integration, social support, academic support, peer support, grade point average, socialization, equality