“I learned a lot about me as a person”: University students’ development as non-formal education professionals
IntroductionThe role of non-formal educational professionals has implications for the growth and development of the children they interact with. This group of professionals includes university students who volunteer their time in educational and youth-service organizations.MethodsIn this collective...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1444537/full |
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| author | Amber Simpson Jada McCann Diana Murtaugh Laurie E. Miroff |
| author_facet | Amber Simpson Jada McCann Diana Murtaugh Laurie E. Miroff |
| author_sort | Amber Simpson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe role of non-formal educational professionals has implications for the growth and development of the children they interact with. This group of professionals includes university students who volunteer their time in educational and youth-service organizations.MethodsIn this collective case study, we utilized Cultural-Historical Activity Theory to (a) understand how undergraduate and graduate students negotiated their development as a non-formal educational professional within an afterschool program and (b) consider how contradictions influenced their growth as educators, if at all. Three forms of data were collected from 10 graduate and undergraduate students as they volunteered their time as an educator in a 10-week afterschool program in partnership with two rural middle schools.ResultsResults highlighted shared contradictions among university students, such as lack of content knowledge and being viewed as friend versus being viewed as an educator, as they individually and collectively reflected upon their development and growth as non-formal educators within the afterschool program. Results also underscored how being a part of the afterschool program and reflecting on practice supported only some of the university students’ initial goal(s) for volunteering their time.DiscussionWe conclude with implications of this study for universities to consider in supporting the professional growth and development of their students as active learners and future educational professionals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fac7983659cc4f0db67b5cd29bbcb48b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2504-284X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-fac7983659cc4f0db67b5cd29bbcb48b2025-08-20T01:49:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2025-01-01910.3389/feduc.2024.14445371444537“I learned a lot about me as a person”: University students’ development as non-formal education professionalsAmber Simpson0Jada McCann1Diana Murtaugh2Laurie E. Miroff3Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United StatesDepartment of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United StatesDepartment of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United StatesPublic Archaeology Facility, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United StatesIntroductionThe role of non-formal educational professionals has implications for the growth and development of the children they interact with. This group of professionals includes university students who volunteer their time in educational and youth-service organizations.MethodsIn this collective case study, we utilized Cultural-Historical Activity Theory to (a) understand how undergraduate and graduate students negotiated their development as a non-formal educational professional within an afterschool program and (b) consider how contradictions influenced their growth as educators, if at all. Three forms of data were collected from 10 graduate and undergraduate students as they volunteered their time as an educator in a 10-week afterschool program in partnership with two rural middle schools.ResultsResults highlighted shared contradictions among university students, such as lack of content knowledge and being viewed as friend versus being viewed as an educator, as they individually and collectively reflected upon their development and growth as non-formal educators within the afterschool program. Results also underscored how being a part of the afterschool program and reflecting on practice supported only some of the university students’ initial goal(s) for volunteering their time.DiscussionWe conclude with implications of this study for universities to consider in supporting the professional growth and development of their students as active learners and future educational professionals.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1444537/fullon-the-job experienceprofessional developmentnon-formal learning environmentreflecting on practiceuniversity students |
| spellingShingle | Amber Simpson Jada McCann Diana Murtaugh Laurie E. Miroff “I learned a lot about me as a person”: University students’ development as non-formal education professionals Frontiers in Education on-the-job experience professional development non-formal learning environment reflecting on practice university students |
| title | “I learned a lot about me as a person”: University students’ development as non-formal education professionals |
| title_full | “I learned a lot about me as a person”: University students’ development as non-formal education professionals |
| title_fullStr | “I learned a lot about me as a person”: University students’ development as non-formal education professionals |
| title_full_unstemmed | “I learned a lot about me as a person”: University students’ development as non-formal education professionals |
| title_short | “I learned a lot about me as a person”: University students’ development as non-formal education professionals |
| title_sort | i learned a lot about me as a person university students development as non formal education professionals |
| topic | on-the-job experience professional development non-formal learning environment reflecting on practice university students |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1444537/full |
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