Enhancing Participant Involvement in Community Engagement Initiatives of a Private Institution in Cavite City

Abstract

This study investigates the level of participant involvement in the community engagement initiatives of a private institution in Cavite City, particularly San Sebastian College-Recoletos de Cavite. Guided by Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior, motivation to participate, institutional support, perceived benefits, and community impact. Using a quantitative descriptive-comparative design, the data were gathered from the community members in eight partner barangays through validated survey questionnaires. Descriptive statistics showed that participants strongly agreed with all five aspects, with awareness of engagement opportunities rated as the highest followed by the institutional support and motivation to participate, while community impact and perceived benefits got the lower rating. Among the five aspects, the result of ANOVA revealed no significant differences, suggesting each factor influences community involvement similarly. Based on the findings, key strategies such as improved communication, more participatory planning, and stronger recognition system were proposed to significantly boost and sustain community engagement. The study provides practical recommendations for improvement of the institutional strategies to community involvement, with significant impacts in higher education practices, policy-making, and future research on sustainable outreach initiatives.