The Role of Student Involvement and Engagement in Rural and Urban High School Environments on Postsecondary Transition and Academic Success

Abstract

In Canada’s diverse educational landscape, students transition from various high school environments is influenced by socioeconomic, demographic, and community-specific factors. This diversity affects their preparedness for higher education and presents both challenges and opportunities for higher education institutions to ensure rich and successful student experiences by offering effective transition support. While many studies explore the connection between secondary or postsecondary involvement and success, there is a gap in research comparing how high school involvement in rural versus urban settings has an impact on postsecondary success. This study examined the impact of high school involvement—measured by hours spent on homework, classroom participation, and extracurricular activities—on students’ integration and academic success in postsecondary education, with prominent differences between rural and urban settings. Found, in the quantitative phase, were correlations, to different degrees, between high school involvement and postsecondary success. Qualitative data complements these findings by illuminating the factors that influenced the correlations between high school involvement and the challenges and successes encountered during the transition to postsecondary education. Implications for secondary and postsecondary instructors and advisors, as well as policymakers, are included.