University Students’ Relationships with Parents

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Student life at university has been a subject of research due to the complex and differentiated experiences of foreign and domestic, commuting, and residential students. It has been identified that their experience significantly depends on the feeling of belongingness, which produces different social interactions. Students’ position in university societies also affects their general satisfaction with life at the educational facility. Researchers are conducting this study to identify if the hypothesis is that students with a higher level of belongingness, autonomy, and competency are more satisfied with university life. In addition, it is presumed that residential students have a higher level of satisfaction than commuting students under Self Determination Theory.

Students with a higher level of autonomy, belongingness, and competency presumably have higher satisfaction with the university experience. One of the studies supports the idea that students might not be satisfied with university life at first because “transition to a new school is a stressful experience,” (Skahill, 2002, p. 1). Increasing the satisfaction level is a severe problem for institutions because many higher education facilities face student persistence problems (Whitten et al., 2017). People leave school before obtaining a degree, which has been connected to the satisfaction problem (Whitten et al., 2017). After the problem has been determined, finding which factors contribute to solving it is essential.

The satisfaction problem is significantly influenced by psychological factors like autonomy and belongingness, which might serve as the solutions to the problem. After investigating the causes and effects of the persistence problem, researchers found that autonomy predictably impacts three primary psychological needs, which, if satisfied, result in a rich social life and engagement of people (Gagne, 2003).

Another essential factor is the feeling of belongingness, which primarily affects students’ satisfaction with university life. The feeling of belonging can be strengthened by empowering students. Another study suggested the idea that “student empowerment is predicted by positive and equitable classroom characteristics and is a distinguishing factor in academic and behavioral outcomes.” (Kirk et al., 2016). This means that students need actions performed by the university that will empower them and, as a result, give them a feeling of belonging to the university and its student society.

The difference between the experiences of commuting and non-commuting students requires research since commuting might be one of the significant factors affecting students’ satisfaction. Research by Lantz and McCrary (1955) showed statistical differences between commuting and residential students. The study concluded that commuting students who reside with their parents have a lower level of maturity due to their socio-psychological needs and sensitivity. Another study also revealed a difference in the level of skills, such as vocabulary and comprehension, between residential and non-residential students (Stark, 1965).

This phenomenon requires further investigation but represents social and academic differences between the two groups. Consequently, it is essential to eliminate the significant difference to prevent the marginalization of one of the groups. According to Goodenow, one of the leading solutions might be enhancing the sense of belonging because it “may be a key influence on motivation.” (Goodenow, 1993). In addition, the problem can be solved by strengthening the students’ autonomy which they can receive by living on campus outside their parental homes. According to Gagne, the self-determination theory model is driven by autonomy (Gagne, 2003). Therefore, it is both beneficial and crucial for students to develop autonomy at university.

The satisfaction level of students at university depends on various factors, such as commuting and persistence at university. Different researchers have investigated both problems, and several solutions have been proposed. Developing and enhancing the feeling of belongingness and autonomy were suggested as the major resolutions. It has been suggested to perform actions for student empowerment and employment of the self-determination theory’s model to provide solutions to the mentioned problems.

References

Lantz, H. R., & McCrary, J. S. (1955). An analysis of parent-student relationships of university student commuters and non-commuters. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2(1), 43–46. Web.

Skahill, M. P. (2002). The role of social support network in college persistence among freshman students. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, 4(1), 39–52. Web.

Stark, M. (1965). Commuter and residence hall students compared. Personnel & Guidance Journal, 44(3), 277–281. Web.

Whitten, D., James, A., & Roberts, C. (2020). Factors that contribute to a sense of belonging in business students on a small 4-year public commuter campus in the Midwest. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, 22(1), 99–117. Web.

Kirk, C. M., Lewis, R. K., Brown, K., Karibo, B., & Park, E. (2016). The power of student empowerment: Measuring classroom predictors and individual indicators. The Journal of Educational Research, 109(6), 589–595. Web.

Gagné, M. (2003). The role of autonomy support and autonomy orientation in prosocial behavior engagement. Motivation and Emotion, 27, 199-223

Goodenow, C. (1993). The Psychological Sense of School Membership among adolescents: Scale development and educational correlates. Psychology in the Schools, 30(1), 79–90. Web.

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University Students’ Relationships with Parents

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