Discipline-based social identity and organizational identity as predictors of approaches to learning and evaluation of teaching

The present research aimed to tease apart the meaning of the “student” identity in higher education by distinguishing the concepts and affordances of discipline-based social identity and organizational identity. Across three studies we examine discipline-based and organizational social identities’ relations to educational outcomes and evaluations of the student experience. Our first study (n = 203) examines the relationships between identity, engagement, and satisfaction with the course and university. The results suggest that discipline identity predicts students’ commitment to their study and their degree satisfaction. Students’ organizational identity predicted their university and degree satisfaction. In Study 2A (n = 240), we examined organizational and discipline identity in relation to deep and surface learning, as well as performance undermining behaviours (procrastination and self-handicapping). We found that organizational identity failed to explain variance in deep learning beyond the variance explained by discipline identity. Moreover, discipline, but not organizational identity, indirectly reduced performance undermining behaviour. In Study 2B (n = 109), not only we replicated Study 2A, but also used a cross-lagged longitudinal design to see which identity was causally more potent. Discipline identity in one semester predicts both changes in discipline and organizational identity in the following semester. In contrast, organizational identity predicts organizational identity in the following semester but fails to predict change in discipline identity. Taken together, our studies suggest that there is benefit in understanding both discipline-based and organizational social identities in terms of understanding students’ educational outcomes and experience.