Having strong values and a clear sense of purpose have been found to contribute to academic success by providing motivation, direction, and deeper meaning to one's studies – leading to greater engagement and better academic performance. Those with a well-defined purpose and meaning in life are also happier and more optimistic, experience more joy, contentment, and enthusiasm, and are less lonely. It’s also related to lower mortality rates and fewer cardiovascular events.

The impact of having a purpose in education is significant in that it:

• Provides motivation and focus. When academic pursuits align with core values, the student is more likely to stay motivated and focused on achieving their goals, as learning becomes personally meaningful.
• Promotes resilience in challenges. Having a strong purpose can help students persevere through difficult academic situations, as they understand the bigger picture behind their studies.
• Leads to meaningful learning. Connecting academic pursuits to a larger purpose can lead to a deeper understanding and engagement with the material.
• Boosts confidence. A strong sense of purpose can boost self-confidence and belief in one’s ability to achieve academic success.
• Promotes goal-setting behavior. Students with a clear purpose are more likely to set challenging goals, seek out learning opportunities, and engage in critical thinking and problem-solving.
• Impacts well-being. Purpose has also been linked with positive emotions, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being, as well as such physical health benefits as a lower risk of heart disease and stronger immune systems.

Connect Course to Values with Values Affirmation Writing Exercise

One activity you can use to help students identify and affirm their values and reinforce self-worth is a values affirmation writing exercise. These exercises are about 15 minutes in length and ask students to identify values important to them (note: they tend to work best if they are part of a lecture). In addition, students are asked to write about how they incorporate values into their own lives. These exercises can be done at a few points during a semester (most recommend at least twice) and are nice as an icebreaker. Research has found that they are connected with student success as they buffer against negative emotions related to stereotype threat. A Values Affirmation Writing Exercise template is provided for your convenience.

More Classroom Activities for Cultivating a Sense of Purpose

There are many other ways you can help align your class content with a student’s personal goals and values. Choose the strategies that work in your classroom.

1. Facilitate Self-Reflection. Have your students Identify their strengths and weaknesses. Have them think about their best selves and imagine the outcomes they desire.
2. Expose Students to Diverse Experiences. Bring in guest speakers and integrate diverse perspectives into your curriculum.
3. Model Purposeful Behavior. Share stories about how your interests and values have influenced your career choices.
4. Make a Plan. Help them develop a plan for your class and beyond – have them set short-term and long-term objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
5. Connect Learning to Real World Applications. Use real-world case studies and demonstrate how classroom concepts can be applied to solve personal and career challenges.
6. Have them Set Value-Aligned Goals. Have students align their academic goals with their personal values and interests. How does their education fit with their long-term goals?
7. Encourage Exploration. Provide opportunities for students to try new things and foster a growth mindset, embracing failure as a learning opportunity.
8. Seek Inspiration and Guidance. Encourage students to find role models who have successfully integrated similar values into their careers and locate mentors who can help them navigate their academic journeys.
9. Encourage Student Involvement. Encourage your students to get involved by volunteering or joining an on-campus organization. Provide them with the link to the Office of Student Involvement and other relevant organizations.
10. Use a Purpose Statement Writing Exercise. Have students use what they have learned and write and commit to a purpose statement. Have them begin with “My purpose is to….”

Conclusion

Purpose is a critical component in academic success – as it increases motivation, engagement, and resilience. Cultivating a sense of purpose and identifying and connecting values to academics will help students face life challenges and succeed in academic, personal, and professional endeavors. 

References and Resources

Cohen, R., Bavishi, C., Rozanski, A. (2016). Purpose in Life and Its Relationship to All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events: A Meta-Analysis. Psychosomatic Medicine 78(2):p 122-133. DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000274 

Cohen, G.L., Garcia, J., Apfel, N. & Master, A., (2006). Reducing the racial achievement gap: A social-psychological intervention. Science, 313(5791), pp.1307-1310.

Jordt, H., Eddy, S.L., Brazil, R., Lau, I., Mann, C., Brownell, S.E., King, K. & Freeman, S. (2017). Values affirmation intervention reduces the achievement gap between underrepresented minority and white students in introductory biology classes. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 16(3), p.ar41.

Kizilcec, R.F, Saltarelli, A.J., Reich, J. &  Cohen, G. L. (2017). Closing global achievement gaps in MOOCs Brief interventions address social identity threat at scale. Science, 355, 251-252. DOI: 10.1126/science.aag2063

Martens, A., Johns, M., Greenberg, J., & Schimel, J. (2006). Combating stereotype threat: The effect of self-affirmation on women’s intellectual performance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 42, 236-243.

Miyake, A., Kost-Smith, L.E., Finkelstein, N.D., Pollock, S.J., Cohen, G.L. and Ito, T.A., 2010. Reducing the gender achievement gap in college science: A classroom study of values affirmation. Science, 330(6008), pp.1234-1237.

Ratner, K., Li, Q., Zhu, G., Estevez, M., & Burrow, A. (2023 ). Daily adolescent purposefulness, daily subjective well-being, individual differences in autistic traits.  Journal of Happiness Studies, 24, 967-989.

About the Author

Rebecca Malatesta, PhD, is a Special Instructor and Student Success Coordinator in the Psychology Department. She is very interested in understanding barriers to student success and discovering evidenced-based strategies to address inclusion and belonging in the classroom and students’ subjective well-being. Rebecca loves to read, especially the classics.

Rebecca served as guest editor for the Happiness Factor in Academic Success: Boosting Well-being and Performance series. Contribute to the Teaching Blog as a guest editor.