For many, university life is a period of considerable change. It is a developmental phase where students undergo marked transformations on behavioural, psychological, emotional and social levels. While higher education institutions are centres for academic progress, they also have a profound effect on the way students form their identities, handle emotions and build the interpersonal and self-management skills necessary for personal growth. Making the move to university demands a degree of independence; it is an individual’s task to adapt to new responsibilities, hone decision-making and put in place the kind of behaviour that will define their future professional and private lives. To foster an environment conducive to holistic development, one must understand these behavioural dimensions.
The present study looks at the factors behind such growth in university students, with an eye on how self-regulation, resilience, emotional intelligence and reflective learning make an impact. We employ a mixed-methods approach to get a full picture of the student experience. On the quantitative side, 850 undergraduates and postgraduates from a range of disciplines were surveyed; qualitatively, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 students as well as with academic mentors and those working in student development. The former data set is put through reliability testing, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and hierarchical regression, while thematic analysis is used to uncover patterns in the interview material.
From this work we put forward the Student Behavioural Growth Development Framework (SBGDF). It posits that self-awareness, social connectedness, emotional intelligence and other key elements are what drive personal growth. Furthermore, robust statistical evidence confirms a significant positive correlation between self-regulation and personal development (β = 0.52, p < 0.001). The data also underlines the value of the support systems and mentoring programmes universities put in place to build behavioural competence.
In offering an integrated view of how university life affects a person beyond his or her grades, this research adds to the body of literature in higher education and behavioural psychology. The framework should be of practical use to administrators and educators looking to put in place interventions that improve wellbeing and prepare students for the challenges of leadership and lifelong learning.