Abstract

ORTIZ, Adriana Yanina. UNIVERSITY SOCIAL OUTREACH EXPERIENCES: motivations for student engagement. Rev. Exitus [online]. 2019, vol.9, n.1, pp.93-118.  Epub July 17, 2019. ISSN 2237-9460.  https://doi.org/10.24065/2237-9460.2019v9n1id717.

Why people are involved in volunteering and what sustains voluntary action are fundamental concerns in motivational research. This article examines the motivations of students of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine of the National Universities of Salta and Tucumán, Argentina, who participate in university social outreach projects. Knowing which the motivational processes that underlie the behavior of voluntary participation are can help understand the individual expectations about extension practices in the university and rethink the strategies that are commonly used to convene and to achieve the permanence of students in the different projects. The data was obtained from a documentary analysis of final technical reports, interviews with volunteers and the experiences of the participants. We carried out a content analysis to operate on the thematic content of the documents and achieve a representation of the information treated. The categorization process reflected six general motivations and nine specific subcategories. The results highlight two reasons for volunteering and the prevalence of “Expression of Values” along with “Knowledge”, “Professional Development”, and “Personal Realization” as remaining categories. It is considered that behind voluntary engagement action there coexist up to two different reasons that lead students to get involved in projects for long periods of time and that this action is mobilized, above all, by a genuine concern for others.

Keywords : Linking social university; Motivation; University student.

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