Student perceptions of college marching band participation on student development goals in higher education

The college marching band provides students with opportunities that foster student development, defined as the personal growth and identity development of students due to environmental factors in higher education. However, previous research has not focused on the role of college marching band participation in student development. The goal of this study was to broaden the understanding of its student development role, enhance development experiences, and improve culture. A self-administered survey was electronically distributed to band directors through the College Band Directors National Association email list with a request to forward it to current college marching band students. The survey contained two sections: (1) Demographic information, (2) Rating college marching band’s influence on 29 student development goals, using a four-point Likert scale with the choices: strong influence, moderate influence, some influence, and no influence. Chickering and Reisser’s (1993) Seven Vectors of college student development served as a theoretical framework for the creation of goals related to college marching band situations that build and reinforce a student’s identity. Responses were analyzed by comparing groups based on demographic characteristics relevant to the research questions. Results were similar to those of previous research. Women rated college marching band participation’s importance higher than men, older students rated it higher than younger, and more-involved students rated it higher than less-involved students. Participants’ perceptions most resonated with Chickering and Reisser’s (1993) vectors Developing Competence and Developing Purpose, and resonated least with the vector Developing Integrity