my research about students' attitude towards joining student clubs at my university - Hanoi university - FSD foundation - vietnam

1. HANOI UNIVERSITY
FOUNDATION STUDIES DEPARTMENT
-------oOo-------
Hanu students’ attitude towards
joining in student organizations
(Word count: 2059 words)
Teachers: Pham Bich Hanh
Students: Hoang Thi Ly
Nguyen Thi Lam Oanh
Class: 3D-15
Course: ESP Writing
Date: May 19 , 2016
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2. ABSTRACT
It is certain that there have been many fascinating experiences occurring during university
student time; however, joining in student clubs brings a great deal of moments and precious
memories. That is the reason why our project’s team conducted a survey on Hanoi University
Students attitude toward participating student organizations on campus with a view to
supporting Hanu students can be the members of Hanu clubs. This primary research based
on the data collected from written small-scale questionnaires, direct interviews and reviewed
literature, the researchers study questionnaires participants’ perspective is and assess how
does student clubs’ role play for their studies and future jobs. As a result, our team
recommend some tips, in other words, give practical advices to the objects of study.
Hopefully, our report would be a concrete background and initial stimulus for larger and
further studies in the future.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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3. ABSTRACT........................................................................................ii
......................................................................................................................ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................ii
LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................iii
1. Introduction...................................................................................................................................1
3. Results............................................................................................................................................2
Figure 1: Levels of attendance at clubs...................................................................2
4. Discussion of findings.....................................................................................................................4
4.1. How Hanu students’ attitude are toward joining to student organization ?.......................4
4.2. How important involvement on student clubs is ?..............................................................5
4.3. What tips Hanu students need when choosing clubs for themselves ?...............................6
5. Recommendation ..........................................................................................................................7
6. Conclusion......................................................................................................................................7
....................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES...................................................................................................8
APPENDICES.......................................................................................9
LIST OF FIGURES
ABSTRACT........................................................................................ii
......................................................................................................................ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................ii
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4. LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................iii
1. Introduction...................................................................................................................................1
3. Results............................................................................................................................................2
Figure 1: Levels of attendance at clubs...................................................................2
4. Discussion of findings.....................................................................................................................4
4.1. How Hanu students’ attitude are toward joining to student organization ?.......................4
4.2. How important involvement on student clubs is ?..............................................................5
4.3. What tips Hanu students need when choosing clubs for themselves ?...............................6
5. Recommendation ..........................................................................................................................7
6. Conclusion......................................................................................................................................7
....................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES...................................................................................................8
APPENDICES.......................................................................................9
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5. 1. Introduction
These days, competition for applying for a good job is becoming extremely severe
because most employers always prioritize personal experiences and soft skills besides job
seeker’s academic knowledge. Moreover, these elements are necessary for people who want
to make good relationships in society as well as improve a sense of propriety. Therefore,
most universities have concerned more on building and cultivating these necessary skills for
their students by founding many various clubs on their campus. However, many students
are still hesitating about joining these as well as do not know how important participating in
these clubs is. Hence, it is essential that a research be conducted to raise students’
awareness of importance of involvement in student club. That will help them achieve far
greater success in studying, relationships and preparing for a good job in the immediate
future.
For the purpose of changing thoughts of students in necessity for participating in
student clubs at colleges or universities to improve and develop individuals, we made a
research about this problem to make them understand more about roles of the soft skills as
well as personal experiences in studying, finding a good job or their daily relationships.
Besides, this research directs for students in choosing a suitable clubs based on demands of
the interest and expectation for developing the personal potentiality. Finally, some valuable
advices will be given for clubs universities or colleges to raise the quality and attract a large
number of students involving
An important element that inspired us to fulfil this mission is from the excellent study
about “Effects of involvement in clubs and organizations on the psychosocial Development
of First-Year and Senior College Students” of John D. Foubert (2006), a professor of
Higher Education and Student Affairs at Oklahoma State University. In this study, John
emphasized, “Student involvement has long been studied as a statistically significant
contributor to desirable outcomes of the college student experience”. This demonstrated
considerable values which student clubs brings about for students and makes motivation for
following studies about this problem. Despite being absolutely practical for students, John
just mentioned for us to one beneficial area out of huge sources, which the involvement in
clubs brings about, which is “Psychological development”.
According to the analysis and ideas of John’ research as well as practical experiences
witnessed, our research paper is based on data from Hanoi University’s students will focus
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6. on explaining three cored questions: How students ‘attitudes are toward involving in
clubs?, How important joining clubs is? and What tips students need when choosing clubs
for themselves?.
2. Method
This research paper based on the data carried out from a survey within Hanoi
University. At the beginning, a questionnaire including 11 questions was designed with
respect to our three research questions. In the next step, we randomly chose 90 students of
different age and academic years to handout questionnaire, and there were 10 out of 90
students chosen by accident to participate in small interviews, each of which lasted 20
minutes on average. The examiners explained the aim of each task before starting and used
recorders with interviewees’ permission during interviews. With our great effort and
participants’ enthusiasm, we were confident that the data obtained achieved a fairly high
level of genuineness.
3. Results
This section outlines the results of the survey conducted to discover Hanu students’
attitude toward joining in clubs on campus. With a view to determining whether students
are keen on joining in any club, of 90 students who were questioned, 80% of respondents
reported that they really like this activity while 20% of the rest do not like this.
Figure 1: Levels of attendance at clubs
In term of students’ attitude, a significant percentage of the students (72%) reported that
they rarely or sometimes experience activities and over 6% of those have never been involve
in. On the other hand, just over 5% join regularly.
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7. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Essential
Highly important
Important
Quite important
Not important at all
Chart Title
Figure 2: Levels of importance in involvement in clubs
When requested to evaluate levels of importance in involvement in student
organizations, as expected, most of the students appreciate the roles of clubs. In particular,
the highest percentage of the students (30%) gives priority to the greatest level “essential”
and 10% rejects significant values that joining in clubs brings about.
To support for this matter, objective choices are taken by evaluating the successful rate
of finding a good job based on trained soft skills in student clubs
Figure 6: The successful rate of finding a good job based on trained soft skills in clubs
A majority of the students (60%) believed that soft skills makes nearly a haft of the
their chance in finding a job. Moreover, a large number of those value more with over 50%
of the chance.
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8. Of all 10 interviewees asked, all of them recognized considerable benefits that joining
in clubs brings about. Additionally, 6 out of 10 interviewees who are being members of
student organizations gives some value advices for students who want to plan to involve in
clubs in the future.
4. Discussion of findings
The result presented above is a logical combination of different aspects which
correspond with three research questions towards connections between Hanu students and
their club participation. This will support practically for this finding more acute because the
whole data was collected from Hanu students who are objects of our study with diversities
of social backgrounds and their own experiences. Therefore, we strongly believe that
maximum exploitation and valuable inference from the source of data will be achieved
easier.
4.1. How Hanu students’ attitude are toward joining to student organization ?
In general, Hanu students has different attitude toward participating in clubs. According
to the result of the questionnaire, most of Hanu students are keen on involving in student
organizations on campus. This is supported by tendencies of 60 students who have never
been organization members toward taking part in clubs in the survey about students’
intentions and plans in the future. It means that most of Hanu students has positive attitudes
and eagerness for the activities.
However, a result is beyond expectation when just 27 % of the students confirmed that
they are currently members of student clubs on campus. There are different reasons
revealed. A majority of the students showed that time limitation is the biggest obstacle,
following by lack of information about clubs. The reason related to the study is
demonstrated by statistical results in which we requested the student to grade the levels of
effect of the club participation on students’ study on a scale of 1-5, where 5 is the worst
level. As these datum, Hanu students’ choices spread on different levels while “worst” is
ranked as a relatively high level with 5 out of 18 students who agreed that the student
organization participation makes a considerable contribution to students’ academic study.
This is understandable, according to interviewees we cooperated, the reasons derive from
pressure of Hanu students, especially FSD students, with a heavy curriculum and rigid
timetables and their parents’ inflexible opinions with worries about their children’s
academic results from effects of attending at community activities. Another noteworthy
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9. reason, a relatively large background of Hanu students find bored, which exposes the
negative and apathetic opinion for the activity. Hence, these reasons revealed reflected more
and less to Hanu students’ limited outlook on the level of importance of participation in
students clubs which will be mentioned in the next section.
Another remarkable point which show obviously Hanu students’ attitude in the activity
is levels of attendance at club meetings or events. From the results as shown in figure 1
page 2, it is natural to conclude that most of Hanu students experience activities of clubs on
irregular levels while just a minority of the student are always present at necessary meetings
or events on campus. Valuing levels of attendance showed less responsibility and obscure
awareness of necessity of this practical activity. In conclusion, most of Hanu students yet
expose their enthusiasm by concrete and practical actions related to this activity as they
stated previously.
One explanation for the discrepancy of the data given between statement about eagerness
about clubs and real actions of Hanu students in clubs involvement may lie the lack of the
students’ thorough awareness of roles of student organizations in their life, study or future
jobs and worries about matters that can occur in participation in clubs. Therefore, it is
necessary to determine obviously significant values and levels of importance that student
clubs bring about and give some advices to remove the students’ worries.
4.2. How important involvement on student clubs is ?
Although the number of participants on clubs has the limitation, some Hanu students
still can be aware of considerable benefits of the activity. From the results as shown in
Figure 2, page 3, over 30% of the students give priority to the greatest level - “essential”
and it is understandable when nearly 10% ranked levels of importance of the activity as the
lowest level - “ not important at all”, which can explain the reason why levels of attendance
has negative tendency as stated previously (Figure 1, p.2). Therefore, concrete benefits of
club participation need showing.
There are different benefits is connected with students’ choices of student clubs’
different fields (Figure 2, p.3). This is also supported by statistical data from the
questionnaire and interviews about students’ aims when participating in student
organizations at which improving soft skills and making friends are prioritized with nearly
70 % of the students, following by supporting your study, keeping up the own passion,
showing off and getting necessary experiences for future jobs. There is general agreement
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10. among Hanu students is that soft skills is appreciated and comes high on the list of priorities
about both types of fields they want to and main aims when they get involved. It means that
involvement in clubs will develop significantly soft skills of students, especially its
importance in the successful rate of finding a good job based on predictions of Hanu
students with their experiences and the fact they witnessed through many student
generations previously (Figure 3, p.3). This is completely correct when a research
conducted by Harvard university, the Carnegie Foundation and Standford Research Center
has concluded that 85% of job success comes from having well-developed soft and people
skills (cited in National Soft Skill Association, 2016 )
Besides, according to interviewees, many other benefits are recognized gradually
during the period when they are members in clubs such as improving comprehensive skills
such as teamwork skill, leadership skill, etc., practicing psychology like confidence and
relaxing themselves. Surprisingly, some sides of the opinions has similarities to ideas from
the article “12 Reasons Why You Should Join A Student Organization” (cited by Bentley
University). Effect on studying is one of the reasons of not participating in clubs of Hanu
students; however, the activity also supports considerably for the process of their academic
study by all skills, experiences as well as techniques from clubs, which is the reason why a
large number of Hanu students also rank the effect of the activity on study on scales of
number 1, where is the best score and number 2.
4.3. What tips Hanu students need when choosing clubs for themselves ?
Our servey’s results make transparent that it is necessary for Hanu’ students when they
have some tips when they will plan to participate in any clubs. Most of Hanu students
pointed out that the foremost thing, which they should consider when they tend to enter, is
personal interests. It is undeniable that the more interested they are, the more motivation
they have to do better. Another noticeable factor is time. Some students think they need
judge their schedules to get balance and gain high efficiencies in both participation in
community activities and academic performance. Moreover, choosing clubs should be based
on demand of skills they need because skills being beyond the academic study is the most
important element which most clubs focus as discussed previously and the student
organization is a great environment for improving and developing them. Moreover, parents’
opinion and friends’ suggestions is necessary for students’ decisions. It is better when they
have supports from their family, which make motivation for them to approach clubs easier
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11. and more effective, and clear directions which is suggested from their friends to make good
choices of suitable clubs.
5. Recommendation
Based on the above discussion of the findings, we would like to give the following
assessment and some suggestions. The tips of the individual contributions are actually
valuable and suitable for students has plans to join in clubs in the future, which help them
orientate useful ways to solve insignificant obstacles, balance between community activities
and personal life and develop promptly personal potentiality. On the part of Hanu clubs, it is
necessary to assert their measurable roles by improving and focusing on qualification,
which decide to benefits bring about, to attract students’ attention. Moreover, a close
cooperation between student organizations and management committee of school is a great
need, which will create chances about time and condition to approach and help them have
an effective and easy balance on both participation in community activities and the
academic study.
6. Conclusion
In conclusion, our research studied Hanu students’ attitude toward joining student clubs on
campus with a view to encouraging the undergraduates to participate actively a variety of
clubs in Hanoi university which is absolutely crucial to train soft skills, support effectively
to apply for any jobs. Via our survey, we recognize that Hanu students are interested in
joining clubs and have a consensus on what clubs’ activities could support for their future
jobs; however, they do not have enough much time because of the rigid-timetable.
Surprisingly, many questionnaired students express their plan and thirst for taking part in
clubs, which is a positive attitude coming up to our expectation. Due to the limited time and
many tasks in this semester, the researchers just focus on Hanu attitude on participating in
clubs in general; nevertheless, we plan to carry out a survey on correlation between being
trained in clubs and success at work to show the full aspects of this concern for further
study in the future.
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12. REFERENCES
John, D. & Lauren U. 2006, Effects of Involvement in Clubs and Organizations on the
Psychosocial Development of First-Year and Senior College Students, viewed 15 April
2016, http://www.albany.edu/involvement/documents/effects_of_involvement.pdf
National Soft Skills 2016, The Real Skills Gap, viewed 20 April 2016,
http://www.nationalsoftskills.org/research-publications/
Bentley University n.d., 12 Reasons Why You Should Join A Student Organization, viewed
20 April 2016, http://www.bentley.edu/graduate/ms-programs/admissions/news-insights/12-
reasons-why-you-should-join-student-organization
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13. APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
QUESTIONNAIRE
We are Hoang Thi Ly and Nguyen Thi Lam Oanh, ESP students, Foundation Studies
Department, Hanoi university. We are doing a research project on Hanoi University
Students’ attitudes toward joining in social clubs or university clubs. This
questionnaire is designed to help us obtain data for our research project. We highly
appreciate your opinions which are apparently essential to the completion as well as
the quality of our paper. Thank you for your cooperation!
__________________________________________________________________________
1. Are you keen on joining in clubs?
□ Yes
□ No
2. Are you a member of any club?
□ Yes
□ No
(*) If choose Yes, please go to Question 3 and 4
If choose No, please go to Question 5
3. What are the reasons why you don’t enter any club? ( you can choose more than
one)
□ Lacking information about club
□ Do not have enough time
□ Be boring
□ Affecting negatively your study
Others: ..................................................................................................................................
4. Will you plan to take part in any club in the future?
□ Yes
□ No
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14. 5. Do the joint affect your study? If yes, rank according to the following scale ( circle
your answer)
□ Yes
□ No
Best Average Worst
1 2 3 4 5
Please answer next questions 8 - 15
6. How often do you attend some activities clubs organize? ( you are probably not a
member of any club)
Always Usually Sometimes Rarely Never
7. Which types of field do you like getting involved in clubs?
□ Social clubs
□ Soft skills
□ Relating to your major
□ Music and sport
□ Attracting many participants
Others: ..................................................................................................................................
8. Which is your aim when you take part in clubs? ( If you want to join )
□ Supporting your study
□ Showing off
□ Improving soft skills
□ Keeping up your own passion
□ Making friends
□ Getting necessary experiences for future jobs
Others: ..................................................................................................................................
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15. 9. How do you think about the club’s roles?
Essential Highly important Important Quite important Not important at all
10. Which is the successful rate of finding a good job based on trained soft skills in
clubs?
□ A. < 25% □ B. 25 – 50 % □ C. > 50 %
11. What should you consider when you tend to enter?
□ Personal interests
□ Time for activities of club
□ Parents’ opinions
□ Money for projects
□ Friends’ suggestions
□ Demanding for essential skills
Others:...................................................................................................................................
APPENDIX B
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
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16. 1) Are you interested in extracurricular activities ?
2) What effects do you probably have when involving in student clubs ? (family,
academic study, relationship)
3) What clubs did you join or do you want to enter ? What benefits do you get from
joining this ?
4) Can you give some advices for someone who want to participate in student
organization ?
APPENDIX C QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
1. Are you keen on joining in clubs?
Yes 80%
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17. No 20%
2. Are you a member of any club?
Yes 33%
No 67%
3. What are the reasons why you don’t enter any club? ( you can choose more than
one)
Lacking information about
club
15 17%
Do not have enough time 49 55%
Be boring 13 14%
Affecting negatively your
study
13 14%
90 100%
4. Will you plan to take part in any club in the future?
Yes 78 %
No 22 %
5. Do the joint affect your study ?
Yes 60%
No 40%
If yes, rank according to the following scale
Level Best Average Worst
1 2 3 4 5
40% 28% 32% 0% 28%
6. How often do you attend some activities clubs organize? ( you are probably not a
member of any club)
Always Usually Sometimes Rarely Never
5% 14% 42% 30% 9%
7. Which types of field do you like getting involved in clubs?
Social clubs 43 24%
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18. Soft skills 46 25%
Relating to your major 38 21%
Music and sport 37 20%
Attracting many participants 17 10%
181 100%
8. Which is your aim when you take part in clubs? ( If you want to join )
Supporting your study 34 14%
Showing off 18 7%
Improving soft skills 59 28%
Keeping up your own passion 35 20%
Making friends 52 22%
Getting necessary experiences for future jobs 29 9%
234 100%
9. How do you think about the club’s roles?
Essential Highly
important
Important Quite
important
Not important at
all
30% 20% 20% 20% 10%
10. Which is the successful rate of finding a good job based on trained soft skills in
clubs?
Level < 25% 25 – 50 % > 50 %
15% 60% 23%
11. What should you consider when you tend to enter?
Personal interests 70 31%
Time for activities of club 54 24%
Parents’ opinions 16 7%
Money for projects 28 12%
Friends’ suggestions 24 10%
Demanding for essential skills 44 20%
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19. 236 100%
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