Impact of Student Involvement in Community Extension Programs: A Philippine Higher Education Study

Aims: Low student participation impedes holistic development. Despite the mandate for community extension in Philippine higher education, student participation remains inconsistent. Hence, students' involvement in the school’s extension activities is greatly affected and contributed to by several factors, including their perception of its effectiveness and purpose. Study Design: This study employed a quantitative-descriptive design. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in a higher education institution in Davao City for the academic year 2021-2022. Methodology: This study employed the quantitative-descriptive research design and used stratified random sampling with 268 basic education students and 317 college students, accounting for 585 respondents. Data were collected using an adapted survey questionnaire. Descriptive statistical methods were applied to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that the college department had more respondents than the basic education department, and students’ extent of involvement in the CEP activities was moderate (M = 2.98), interpreted as “involved.” Furthermore, the implementation of CEP activities was rated very high (M = 4.21), while students perceived the activities as effective (M = 4.13) and having a high effect on their development (M = 4.19). Conclusion: The data showed that the CEP activities were generally perceived by the students as effective. It was manifested through their involvement, assessment of the implementation, perceived effectiveness, and perceived effect.