Students' Perception of the Design of Common Space and Its Role in Sense of Community and Belonging

Students' Perception of the Design of Common Space and Its Role in Sense of Community and Belonging
Author: Megan Michele Knight
Publisher:
Total Pages: 69
Release: 2015
Genre: Belonging (Social psychology)
ISBN:
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Students are now required to live a minimum of their freshman year in the residence halls. This time spent in the residence halls is a time of transition; living on their own, for what may be the first time for many, can be a struggle. Students are adjusting to a new way of life. These residence halls can have a significant influence on students' perception of sense of community. If positive, this may help increase students retention rate after freshman year. It is important to understand this transition, what aids in the transition, and how the physical environment plays a part in this transition as to create a more positive experience for students to come and stay. The purpose of this study was to explore university dormitory residents' perceptions of common areas, and the role of these common areas in their sense of community and belonging. Sense of community is a strong indicator of a successful transition. This study addressed four research questions: Question #1: What are student's general perceptions of common areas? Question #2: How do students use the common space? Question #3: What are students' perceptions of the function and aesthetics design of the common area? Question #4: How do students' use this space to socialize with others? The method used in this study consisted of semi-structured interviews conducted by the student researcher. The participants were recruited through an email listserv as well as in-person convenience sampling. These interviews were conducted in a private room, audio recorded and transcribed for analysis. The data were coded for significant themes. These themes focused on the use of the common space; the aesthetics as well as the students' overall perception of their transition. We see a connection with the physical environment and the students place attachment in terms of experiences shared with other students, regardless of these experiences' being in work or social situations. This membership is how we see the sense of community develop. The students contributed their successful transition to knowing not only the physical environment as well as in relationships formed on campus. This information may aid student housing personnel as they work with students as well as students time on campus, specifically, the students transitioning to campus living. The data may be used in developing student evaluations as well as updates on the residence hall furnishing and equipment. Understanding more about the student experience and their perception of this experience may aid in creating a better student experience and thus result in higher retention rates.

A Comparison of Changes in the Perception of the University Environment by Freshmen Students who Reside in Coeducational and in Single-sex Residence Halls

A Comparison of Changes in the Perception of the University Environment by Freshmen Students who Reside in Coeducational and in Single-sex Residence Halls
Author: Robert Allen Miller
Publisher:
Total Pages: 346
Release: 1972
Genre: College freshmen
ISBN:
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The purpose of this study was to compare the changes in the perception of the university environment that occurred in four selected .groups of freshmen residence hall students: females residents in single-sex halls (N = 150), female residents in coeducational halls (N = 89), male residents in single-sex halls (N = 95), and male residents in coeducational halls (N = 96). The College and University Environment Scales was the instrument utilized to measure the students' perceptions of the university environment. Additional data were gathered from files in the Residence Hall Programs Office and from a brief questionnaire compiled by the investigator. During the week prior to the Fall term 1970 at Oregon State University the participants were administered the CUES and the supplemental questionnaire. The CUES was readministered six months later following two terms of in-residence living by the participants. The data was subjected to statistical analysis with the .05 level of significance being accepted as indicating degrees of confidence that differences were real. Hypotheses were stated in the null form indicating that, by comparison, no significant differences would appear. The following groups were statistically treated relative to the perceptual change in the university environment that occurred: 1. Freshmen females residing in single-sex residence halls. 2. Freshmen females residing in coeducational residence halls. 3. Freshmen males residing in single-sex residence halls. 4. Freshmen males residing in coeducational residence halls. The following group comparisons were statistically treated relative to differences in degree of change in perception of the university environment that occurred: 1. Freshmen females residing in coeducational residence halls and freshmen females residing in single-sex residence halls. 2. Freshmen males residing in coeducational residence halls and freshmen males residing in single-sex residence halls. 3. Freshmen residing in coeducational residence halls and freshmen residing in single-sex residence halls. 4. Freshmen males residing in residence halls and freshmen females residing in residence halls. 5. Interaction of coeducational and single-sex residence halls and freshmen male and female residents. From the findings of this study the following conclusions were drawn. 1. Freshmen students residing in residence halls change their perceptions of the university environment significantly on most scales and in a negative direction during their first six months of attendance at college. 2. Freshmen female residents in single-sex residence halls experience a significantly greater degree of change in their perception of the university environment on the Awareness scale than do freshmen female residents in coeducational residence halls. 3. Freshmen male residents in single-sex residence halls do not differ significantly in the degree of change in their perceptions of the university environment than do freshmen male residents in coeducational residence halls. 4. Freshmen residents in single-sex residence halls change their perception of the university environment to a significantly greater degree on the Awareness scale than do freshmen residents in coeducational residence halls. 5. Freshmen females residing in residence halls change their perception of the university environment to a significantly greater degree on the Community scale than do freshmen males residing in residence halls. 6. Freshmen males residing in residence halls change their perception of the university environment to a significantly greater degree on the Practicality scale than do freshmen females residing in residence halls. 7. A significant relationship exists between sex and type of residence hall on the Scholarship scale. Freshmen females residing in coeducational residence halls and freshmen males residing in single-sex residence halls change their perceptions significantly greater on the Scholarship scale than do freshmen males residing in coeducational residence halls and freshmen females residing in single-sex residence halls.