Student’s Search for Meaning: Promoting Engagement, Success, and Persistence in a Global Classroom

Abstract

Global educators strive to help their students discover meaning and purpose through cross-cultural connection and inclusivity. Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning (1985) and his logotherapy perspective are the foundation for this presentation. Research reveals that connecting to meaning and purpose in life can enhance the ability to persist in spite of challenges (Graber, 2004). College students who report a high sense of meaning are far more likely to persist to graduation, while those with a low or unexplored sense of meaning are more likely to drop out (Makola, 2014). Instructors who encourage the exploration of meaning and purpose using principles of logotherapy will positively impact student engagement and retention, while increasing their own satisfaction. This presentation will provide a research-based curriculum that is aligned with Purdue Global’s mission to support working adults in the development of academic and professional skills they need to achieve their personal and career goals.

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Learning outcomes "Participants will gain insight into how the use of Frankl’s model of logotherapy can promote student persistence and classroom engagement, even in the face of psychosocial stressors and hardship. Participants will engage in exploration and discussion of how their own sense of meaning and purpose as instructors improves their ability to facilitate learning. Participants will discover how tapping into the concept of meaning and purpose within the classroom also promotes a global-minded, inclusive and diverse learning environment."

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