ON CAMPUS SUPPORTIVE – LEARNING EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DALAT

UNIVERSITY OF DALAT
FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

DƯƠNG VIỆT HƯNG

ON - CAMPUS SUPPORTIVE – LEARNING
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF DALAT

SUPERVISOR: NGUYỄN TẤT THẮNG, Ph.D.

Dalat, May 2010

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Upon reaching this time, I would like to express my special thanks to Dr. Nguyễn Tất Thắng, my
supervisor, for the invaluable directions and guidelines at the time I need them most.
My gratefulness is given to my family for the encouragements as well as financial supports.
Especially, I would like to give my sincere and special thank to my proofreader, Ms Susie Đỗ, who
has helped me check my writing style, grammar, and spelling in my paper.
My thankfulness is also given to my classmates (AVK30D), especially Nguyễn Thị Hồng Bích and
Vũ Thị Thu Hiền, to Mr. Dương Bảo Ninh (Mathematics Department), Ms. Dương Thị Thanh Hiên
(Physics Department) and Lê Anh Nguyên (AVK30B, Faculty of Foreign Languages), and to friends
from the faculties of Mathematics, Physics, and Social Works and Foreign Languages for their great
contributions and valuable information during the time of my research.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Upon reaching this time, I would like to express my special thanks to Mr. Nguyễn Tất Thắng, my
supervisor, for the invaluable directions and guidelines at the time I need them most.
My gratefulness is given to my family for the encouragements as well as financial supports.
Especially, I would like to give my sincere and special thank to my proofreader, Ms Susie Đỗ, who
has helped me check my writing style, grammar, and spelling in my paper.
My thankfulness is also given to my classmates (AVK30D), especially Nguyễn Thị Hồng Bích and
Vũ Thị Thu Hiền, to Mr. Dương Bảo Ninh (Mathematics Department), Ms. Dương Thị Thanh Hiên
(Physics Department) and Lê Anh Nguyên (AVK30B, Faculty of Foreign Languages), and to friends
from the faculties of Mathematics, Physics, and Social Works and Foreign Languages for their great
contributions and valuable information during the time of my research.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgement
Abstract
I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................5
1.1. Rationale .............................................................................................................6
1.2. Aims of the research ...........................................................................................6
1.3. Research questions ............................................................................................7
1.4. Significance of the research ..............................................................................7
1.5. Limitation of the research .................................................................................7
II. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................8
2.1. Definition ...........................................................................................................8
2.2. Characteristics ....................................................................................................8
2.3. Opinions about Extracurricular Activities .........................................................8
III. METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................12
3.1. Subjects ............................................................................................................12

3.2. Data collection instruments ..............................................................................13
3.3. Methods of Data Analysis ................................................................................13
IV. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .................................................................................13
4.1. The Reality of Supportive-Learning Extracurricular Activities’ Performance
in the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Other Faculties at the University
of Dalat ....................................................................................................................13
4. 2. Attitudes of the students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages ......................15
4.2.1. Students’ discontentment with on- campus
extracurricular activities ..............................................................................15
4.2.2. Students’ expectations to the supportive-learning
extracurricular activities ............................................................................16
4.2.2.1. Clubs ..................................................................................16
4.2.2.2. Seminars .............................................................................17
4.2.2.3. Contests ..............................................................................18
4.3. Differences in Term of Gender ........................................................................18
4.4. Differences in Term of Year ............................................................................19
4.4.1. Differences between Freshmen and Sophomores .............................20
4.4.2. Differences between Freshmen and Juniors .................................... 20
4.5. Differences in Term of Faculties ................................................................... 22
4.5.1. Differences between the faculty of foreign languages (FFL)
and the faculty of social works (FSW) ...................................................... 22
4.5.2. Differences between the faculty of foreign languages
(FFL) and faculty of physics (FP) ............................................................. 23
4.5.3. Differences between the faculty of foreign languages (FFL)
and the faculty of math (FM) ..................................................................... 24
V. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................... 26
5.1. Recapitulation ................................................................................................ 26
5.2. Recommendations ......................................................................................... 26
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 28
APPENDICES .................................................................................................................. 29

Appendix A: QUESTIONNAIRE ..................................................................................... 29
Appendix B: CRITERIA FOR INTERVIEW .................................................................... 31
Appendix C: TABLES OF OUTPUTS FROM SPSS .........................................................32
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I. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Rationale
The typical student at Dalat University, in particular those part of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, is
under an intensive time schedule to complete a heavily weighted curriculum. Students struggle to find
a healthy work-life balance between their academic studying and their personal lives. For those who
do participate in extra activities, the motivation for joining is more so for health, fun and
entertainment rather than for the educational purposes. In fact, the average student does not participate
in activities that can support their academic goals. That is the reason why students often get into
trouble in their studies. Many students lack studying skills and as a result they are unable to retain
relevant subject-matter knowledge.
With global integration now facing many of the world’s economies, employers expect to see more
than just an applicant’s studying records and scores. What they expect to see is an applicant’s
involvements out-of-class activities.
Prospective employers want to see a person’s entire personal development rather than just the
studying records and scores of the applicants during their time at schools and colleges. Therefore,
students should seriously evaluate and undertake extracurricular activities in relation to the goal of
bolstering their résumés. This principle would also apply to individuals looking at pursuing higher
education both within and outside of the country.
Supportive-learning (also known as learning-supporting) extracurricular activities are a part of the
curriculum in every college and university. The major goal of these activities is to complement
students in their study by providing them with knowledge, information, and experience as well. In
addition, these activities enhance students with skills and chances such as leadership skills, social
skills, and chances for personal development.

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In essence, supportive-learning extracurricular activities efficiently aid a student’s studying. Some
common types of supportive-learning extracurricular activities include academic clubs, academic
competitions, contests and seminars. While most high schools and colleges focus on academics, the
majority of students participating in out-of-class activities do so for their own sense of joy and
entertainment.
Unbeknown to most participants, the benefits of being involved in extracurricular activities typically
go beyond an individual’s sense of entertainment. In fact, Lawhorn (2008) states that “athletics, clubs,
and other extracurricular activities have benefits beyond the enjoyment they provide. These pursuits
assist students in developing personally, socially, and intellectually. They might even help students to
advance their academic and professional goals”. So it is through these activities that students have the
opportunities to form friendships and to develop social skills. In addition, participating in
extracurricular activities may help students in their academic performance.
As a senior student I have found that there are few opportunities for students, especially those part of
the Faculty of Foreign Languages, to become involved in supportive-learning extracurricular activities
around the campus.
1.2. Aims of the Research
This research is carried out to determine the real performance of supportive-learning extracurricular
activities in the Faculty of Foreign Languages at the University of Dalat. In particular, this research
will seek to identify the favorable conditions, problems and student expectations linked to these
activities. Through this research I will propose solutions to the identified problem areas and further
make recommendations for providing supportive-learning extracurricular activities within the Faculty
of Foreign Languages.
Of particular note, this research will also attempt to investigate the differences, if any, between
freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors, and further between male students and female students

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within the faculties of Foreign Languages, socials works, Physics and Mathematics in relation to
participating in supportive-learning extracurricular activities.
By highlighting some of the supportive-learning extracurricular activities available, my goal is to
inform students of these activities and in return gain access to a resource that can improve their
academic performance while providing entertainment as well. Using actual situations involving of
supportive-learning extracurricular activities within the faculty and comparing it to the corresponding
student attitudes, this research will raise practical recommendations that can be used to enhance the
experience from the perspective of both the organizers and the participants.
1.3. Research Questions
The research is designed to answer two questions:
1. What is the actual situation of supportive-learning extracurricular activities at the
Faculty of Foreign Languages and other three faculties, (Social Works, Mathematics
and Physics) at University of Dalat?
2. What are the students’ attitudes towards the organizers and the activities?
1.4. Significance of the Research
The research provides teachers and students in the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Dalat University,
with practical insights into supportive-learning extracurricular activities so that they can better and
more efficiently arrange, organize and manage activities. The result of this research will give students
and teachers practical ideas in organizing extracurricular activities, especially the supportive-learning
type.
1.5. Limitation of the Research
Due to the brief timeframe of the research, the recommendations provided cannot be extended beyond
the situations described in this report. As a precaution, it is advised that the recommendations provide
be evaluated for relevancy to the reality of our faculty. The research results provided are based on
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analyzed data collected from 140 randomly selected respondents, ranging from first year to the fourth
year students, who answered a survey questionnaire (refer to Appendix A). Due to the limited sample

size, the research provided is not representative of the greater student population at the university.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Definition
Extracurricular activities may have different meanings in different situations. At the mention of
extracurricular activities, people often associate it with the entertaining activities or learningenhancing ones for students on campus. In fact, extracurricular activities are those activities held by
students, with teachers’ support, and are often performed outside of the regular school hours since
they are not part of the academic curriculum.
According to the website of answers.com, extracurricular activities are “activities performed by
students that fall outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school or university education.” In
addition, Hantal (2007) states that “these activities are optional and usually non-credited educational
activities, that can be related or not to the field of studies and conducted during the students’ free time
and in the same time these activities are useful for their personal development.”
2.2. Characteristics
Extracurricular activities can be sports (e.g. football, volleyball, swimming), theatre (e.g. art
performances or drama) or participation in academic clubs. For those who participate in
extracurricular activities, these activities are a great opportunity for them to form social relationships,
create mutual experiences with the other people and efficiently support their academic study.
As stated on answers.com, extracurricular activities can have a great influence on student’s career as
well as their college admissions. Besides high academic achievements, college admissions officers
and the employers may consider and evaluate other portions of a person’s CV including the skills and
experiences that the candidate has received from extracurricular activities. Some of these highly

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coveted skills include leadership skills, social skills, time management, organizational skills and
personality.
While there are many different ways to categorize extracurricular activities, the number and the types
of extracurricular activities varies widely. Lawhorn (2008) classifies extracurricular activities into

certain types, such as student government, athletics, volunteer and service-related activities (e.g. Red
Cross, Green Summer Club), arts, academic and professional organizations (academic clubs), and
finally academic competitions.
Student government: According to Lawhorn (2008), students who are selected and elected by their
fellow classmates will serve as a bridge between all students and their school’s administration.
Participating in this type of activity offers students a chance to improve their leadership skills within
various positions such as president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. Working together, student
governments perform activities during their term that includes student-run honor committees,
judiciaries, and alumni councils.
Athletics: Athletics are often referred to sports, which are the most popular activities in schools and
colleges as well. Lawhorn (2008) asserts that athletics are “among the most prominent and popular of
extracurricular activities in both high school and college.” Time and efforts are the two basic elements
that students have to consider when participating in these activities. Participating in athletic activities
typically provides students with skills to work in a group and improves the solidarity amongst
individuals. Moreover, people who join these activities have a preference for an active lifestyle since
they can become healthier in the process.
Volunteer and service-related activities (e.g. Red Cross and Green Summer Club)
These activities help students improve their social communication skills. Typically these activities are
associated with volunteer organizations. College and university students participate in helping people
who have suffered from natural disasters or provided educational assistance to people in remote and
mountainous areas.
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Lawhorn (2008) believes that being involved in this type of activity “allows students to meet other
socially conscious people and perform rewarding work with them.”
Arts (e.g. music and drama): Arts activities within college settings are typically for entertainment
purposes and can include drama, cinema, painting and music. In his own research, Lawhorn (2008)
showed that art is performed in most high schools and colleges. Furthermore, Lawhorn asserts that
“performers don’t just play for their own benefit;” what they often receive is the feedback from the

judges and the audience in addition to the friendships formed when working together with their fellow
artists.
Academic and professional organizations (academic clubs): Academic clubs play a significant role
in campus life. Club members are typically those who share similar interest in a particular subject of
field of study. Examples include English speaking clubs and literature clubs. Lawhorn (2008) also
agrees with this point of view. He explains that many colleges have clubs formed around specific
academic subject areas. These clubs work to improve their members’ shared interest in the subjects
and to aid in academic learning. Participating in clubs provides students with knowledge, information,
and a chance to discuss the subject beyond the classroom’s scope.
Academic competitions: Academic competitions are often referred to intellectual contests that are
held within a school or between schools. These competitions can be a multi-subject contest covering a
wide range of specific subjects or can be one- subject contest. Participating in these kinds of activities,
forces students to be qualified and prepare carefully. Joining these activities offers students a chance
to express themselves and enrich their own knowledge.
Seminar: According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (the seventh Edition, p.1380),
a seminar is a class at a university or college where a group of students and a teacher discuss or study
a particular topic. With relation to this report, the type of seminar which I am focusing on is one
where students or teachers can convene to share their academic experiences about one specific topic.

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In this type of seminar, students and teachers must prepare their presentation carefully at home before
presenting.
Among all of the extracurricular activities listed above, the ones that I will primarily focus on are the
academic clubs, academic competitions and the seminars since these three activities can effectively
support students in their studies.
2.3. Opinions about Extracurricular Activities
Extracurricular activities are always considered an essential component in syllabus design in schools
and colleges. Because of its crucial role, a lot of research related to this topic has been performed.

Historically, extracurricular activities first appeared in American colleges in the 19th century
(Wikipedia, 2010). Student-based literary societies originating in Harvard University and Yale
University were the first instance of academic extracurricular activities. Early athletic programs were
also initiated and organized by the American students; in most American colleges and high schools,
intercollegiate athletics soon became the dominant type of extracurricular activity.
Lawhorn (2008) claims that “academics are the focus of high school and college but for many
students, participation in activities outside the classroom is what they enjoy the most.” He also asserts
that extracurricular activities like athletics and clubs have benefits beyond the enjoyment they
provide. According to Lawhorn, the way these activities complement students is that “these pursuits
assist students in developing personally, socially, and intellectually. They might even help students to
advance their academic and professional goals.”
Supplementing Lawhorn’s claims are those of Hollrah (2006), where he states that activities are not
simply about the records, the scores, the wins or losses or the place. It should be noticed that these
activities “provide and instruct students with lessons that will last them a lifetime.”
Moreover, Hantal (2007) believed “the extra-curricular activities arrive to complement the academic
education.” He points out that these activities can be useful for students’ personal development.
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The opinions noted above are concerned with the topic of “extracurricular activities” in general. In
terms of supportive-learning extracurricular activities, Lawhorn (2008) provides further opinions
which correspond to academic clubs and academic competitions. For academic clubs he states that
“academic clubs provide students with an opportunity to discuss topics beyond the scope of the
classroom.” By giving an example of language clubs, Lawhorn suggests that “allowing students to
watch foreign films or eating delicacies that are native to the country of origin, these cultural
experiences are enjoyable and help make learning a language more meaningful.” This is one area
where the faculty language clubs at the University of Dalat should consider and apply effectively.
In terms of academic competitions Lawhorn (2008) states that “it is likely that the study skills of
students who are selected for the team are already well developed; however, competitions give them
the chance to hone these skills further. Participants also learn to work together with other team

members.”
III. METHODOLOGY
3.1. Subjects
For this study, the population is the student body of the faculties of Foreign Languages, Social Works,
Mathematics, and Physics at University of Dalat. Among them, I chose 80 students from the Faculty
of Foreign Languages and 60 students from the other faculties. Student participants were randomly
selected between freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior years. Furthermore, the subjects are divided
by their gender so that further analysis can be done to determine if differences in gender and age exist.
To supplement the 140 subjects selected, I performed interviews with three people each from the
faculties of Foreign Languages, Mathematics, and Physics, who have knowledge in this area of
research. These people have responsibility for managing the extracurricular activities within their
respective faculty. Answers provided through these interviews help develop a description of the
extracurricular activities’ performance. The first person is Mr. Dương Bảo Ninh, the Secretary of
Youth League and Assistant Dean of student works for Mathematics Department. The second person

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is Ms. Dương Thị Thanh Hiên, the Secretary of Youth League of Physics Department while the last is
Lê Anh Nguyên former Secretary of Youth League of Foreign Language Faculty.
3.2. Data Collection Instruments
A 13-item questionnaire is written in English and distributed to the student body, of which 140
students returned the questionnaire. The questions are clear, simple, and easy to understand so that
students can answer appropriately. The questionnaire can be found in Appendix A.
In terms of the interviews, those were carried out in accordance with the topic-related criteria with the
three experts coming from faculties of Foreign Languages, Mathematics department, and Physics
department. The interview criteria are essential data that are used to describe the performance of
extracurricular activities in these faculties. The interview can be found in appendix B.
3.3. Methods of Data Analysis
I used SPSS software, Statistical Package for Social Studies, in order to make the comparisons

between groups including gender, year of study, and faculties.
IV. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
4.1. The Reality of Supportive-Learning Extracurricular Activities’ Performance in the Faculty
of Foreign Languages and Other Faculties at the University of Dalat.
Mr. Dương Bảo Ninh, working for Mathematics Department, indicated that the seminars involving
learning methods, academic subjects, and methodology appropriating are often organized once a year.
The participants include both students and the teachers. These seminars are usually held in lecture
halls and are typically organized by the faculty’s administration and youth. Most seminars are related
to Mathematics and computing. While it is obvious that the department cares about seminars, the
frequency at which they occur and the content which they cover is in fact limited. Meanwhile the
students demand for greater seminar content and frequency is higher than what is currently offered.

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Regarding the contests, the Mathematics department has only two annual contests – one on computing
knowledge and the other on applied Mathematics. These contests are a good opportunity for students
to express themselves and to enrich their knowledge as well.
Lastly, when it comes to clubs the department has only one – the Mathematics club. This club is held
weekly with different topics so the number of participants can fluctuate depending on their topic of
interest. Ninh claims that while there is only one club, its performance is quite efficient and it can
encourage students to do research by giving them VND 50,000 for one presentation.
Ms. Dương Thị Thanh Hiên, representative for the Physics department, asserts that most of the
organized extracurricular activities are related to athletics and art performances rather than clubs,
seminars, and contests. The Physics department has only a few clubs and those tend to small and
private in nature. This means that the club is formed by a few members of a class and not by students
spread across all of the classes. The goal of these clubs is just musical exchange and not for studying
purposes. It is obvious that the Physics department is in lack of clubs and seminars that can aid a
students’ studying. For the contests, she says the department intends to hold a small competition
named “Ringing Golden Bell” which is targeted towards for all students of the department and will be

held annually. Consequently, the supportive-learning extracurricular activities at the Physics
department are very limited and do not meet students demands for more activities that can effectively
support their studies.
In the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Mr. Lê Anh Nguyên, a former Secretary of Youth League,
mentions that activities focused on athletics and art performances are often seen and more popular
than clubs, seminars, and contests within the faculty. For the clubs, there are only two clubs: English
speaking club and a voluntary club. The English speaking club is a student-based club where topics
are given and then participants can discuss and give their opinion by making a presentation. Of
course, everything should be prepared and performed in English. During club meetings, students can
listen to the presentations, ideas and experiences of international and Vietnamese teachers. This club
is considered a very good opportunity for students, regardless of their area of study, to practice and
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improve their English speaking skills as well as their public speaking skills. However, the club does
not meet frequently; it often takes place once every three or more weeks. More recently, this club has
not met for quite some time.
In terms of seminars, most of the organized seminars are for teachers only; there seems to be no
seminar dedicated to students with the exception of a study-skills seminar that was held last semester.
Contrary to expectations, the content of this seminar was neither interesting nor efficient.
The last area to be mentioned is contests. Up until now, there have not been any contests or
competitions organized and run by the faculty. While there are students participating in several
contests hold by the University’s Youth League, such as Ringing Golden Bell, Studying of Hồ Chí
Minh’s thoughts, studying of history, or general knowledge, it is clear that there is a lack of
supportive-learning extracurricular activities. There is high demand from the student body for
activities that combine entertainment value with studying support. Therefore, the faculty and the
teachers should focus more attention to this area and be ready to prepare relevant solutions. Overall,
the faculties of Foreign Languages, Mathematics, and Physics, have a very weak and limited selection
of supportive-learning extracurricular activities.
4. 2. Attitudes of the Students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages

4.2.1. Students’ Discontentment With On- Campus Extracurricular Activities
This result is based upon the answer to question number 4 which is “The reason why I am not satisfied
with the activity is…, with six options including facilities, content, time, participants, finance, and
organizers”. As illustrated in chart 1 (below), the students in the Faculty of Foreign Languages are
mostly unsatisfied with time commitment when they participate in extracurricular activities (33.75%).
Most believe that time scheduled for extracurricular activities should be relevant to their schedule;
each activity should have a clear timetable during every semester so that they could plan to participate
in advance.

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15%

18.75%
facilities
content

12.50%
12.50%

time
participants
finance

7.50%

organizers

33.75%

Chart 1: Students’ Discontentment With Extracurricular Activities
Another area of concern is the facilities (18.75%) associated with these extracurricular activities.
Indeed, facilities are an important factor contributing the success of an activity. The role of the
organizers was a concern identified by only 15% of the respondents yet organizers tend to play a
crucial role in every activity. Give the results, it is reasonable to find that the success or the failure of
an activity depends greatly on the factors just mentioned.
4.2.2. Students’ Expectations to the Supportive-Learning Extracurricular Activities
4.2.2.1. Clubs

7.50%
3.75%
10.00%
English- speaking club
writing club
literature club
linguistic club
78.75%

Chart 2: The Percentage of the Clubs that Students Want to Participate in Most
Respondents were asked the following regarding participation in clubs: “The club that I wish to be in
is…” (with four options provided including English- speaking club, writing club, literature club, and
linguistic club).
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The result, illustrated in the chart above, shows that students are most interested in participating in the
English-speaking club. In fact, students faced with difficulties in speaking English find that joining an
English-speaking club is the easiest way to improve their speaking skills. Therefore, it is
recommended that the faculty invest greater resources towards creating an English-speaking

environment on our campus. Additionally clubs devoted to writing, literature, and linguistics should
also be explored by the faculty as a means to efficiently support the demands and study-habits of the
student population.
4.2.2.2. Seminars
In terms of seminars, the question is asked was: “The seminar that I expect to participate in is
about…” (with four choices provided: studying-experiences, subjects offered at FFL, learning
methods, and part time job”). From chart 3 (below) it is becomes clear that the disparity in the
respondents’ answers between the four clubs is not large. From this it can be surmised that the
students share this expectation equally. In fact, the Faculty of Foreign Languages often organizes
seminars yet they are typically for the teachers only. Students rarely have a chance to participate in
these seminars and so it is recommended that the faculty provide greater access to seminars that will
aid in student learning.

30.00%

32.50%
studying- experiences
subjects offered at FFL
learning methods
part time job

18.75%

18.75%

Chart 3: The Percentage of the Seminars that Students Want to Participate in Most
A unique item in this section is the notion of part time jobs, which has never been thought about prior.
Besides studying, the need for a part time job is also necessary for those who want to earn money to

17

support their study and living. This is a unique area that the Faculty of Foreign Languages should pay
special attention towards.
4.2.2.3. Contests

8.75%
22.50%
be academic
provide students a
chance to debate

26.25%

be about music
be about drawing and
designing
42.50%

Chart 4: Percentage of the Contests that Students Want to Participate in Most
For contests, the question asked was: “the contest that I wish to participate in should… “ (with four
options provided: be academic, provide students a chance to debate, be about music, and be about
drawing and designing). As seen in chart 4, it is obvious that students prefer to participate in a contest
that is able to provide them a chance to debate (42.50%). However, up until now there have yet to be
any such contest held. It is recommended that such a contest be organized in ther near future to meet
the growing demand of the student population. Moreover, contests focusing on academics and music
are also attracting great interest from the students, scoring 22.50% and 26.25% respectively. In
summary, contests centered on academics, music or drawing and designing should be taken under
serious consideration by the faculty since these activities promote positive studying habit while
providing entertainment value as well.

4.3. Differences in Terms of Gender
As set out in Table A1 (see Appendix C), the results show that all the p’s are greater than 0.05,
indicating that there is no statistically significant difference between male and female students with
respect to their attitudes toward extracurricular activities.

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Most male and female students disagreed or were dissatisfied with the time required to organize these
activities, with a mean of 3.1667 for male students and a mean of 3.3140 for female students.
Students, irrespective of gender, think that the time commitment for these activities is relevant to their
schedules in that it should be planned and announced at the beginning of every semester so that
students can plan to fully participate. Most students agree, with a mean of 1.8148 for male students
and a mean of 1.9302 for female students, with the idea that the faculty should invest more in
learning-supporting extracurricular activities such as clubs, seminars, and contests.
With respect to clubs, both male and female students expect to have specific clubs for specific
subjects with a mean of 1.8333 for male students and a mean of 1.9419 for female students.
Particularly, in the Faculty of Foreign Languages, most of the students expect to join the English
speaking club. Thus, particular attention should be given to these kinds of clubs in terms of both
quality and scale.
With respect to seminars, students expect seminars to pertain to specific subjects and learning
methods with a mean of 1.8953 for male students and a mean of 2.5185 for female students. In
addition, seminars regarding study experience and part time jobs are also important to students.
With respect to contests, students desire most to participate in those that provide opportunities to
debate with a mean of 2.0185 for male students and a mean of 2.3256 for female students. In addition,
students prefer to join contests that focus on music, academic, drawing and painting. It is apparent
that students, regardless of gender, strongly desire to have a positive environment in which to either
study or entertain. Therefore, faculties and teachers should take this into serious consideration in order
to better support students with studying.
4.4. Differences in Terms of Year

In the Table B (see Appendix C), the second question that, “I think that our faculty should invest more
in clubs, seminars, and contests”, and the ninth question that, “The faculty and teachers should pay
much more attention to the learning- supporting extracurricular activities”, are the only two terms
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that are statistically significant, with p = 0.027 and 0.000 respectively. These results indicate that these
two features show differences between students according to their year of study.

In order to

understand the difference, the following subsections will address the most critical evidence as
between certain years of study including: (a) freshmen and sophomores, (b) freshmen and juniors, (c)
freshmen and seniors, (d) sophomores and juniors, and (e) juniors and seniors.
4.4.1. Differences Between Freshmen and Sophomores

Levene's
Test for
Equality of
Variances
F

Sig.

I think that
Equal
our faculty variances .291 .591
should
assumed
invest more

Equal
in clubs,
variances
seminars,
not assumed
and contests
The faculty
Equal
and teachers variances .634 .429
should pay assumed
much more
attention to
the
Equal
learning- variances
supporting not assumed
extracurricu
lar activities

t-test for Equality of Means

Sig. (2Mean
Std. Error
tailed) Difference Difference

95% Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Lower
Upper

t

Df

.758

58

.452

.1500

.1979

-.2462

.5462

.734

35.112

.468

.1500

.2042

-.2646

.5646

.441

58

.661

7.500E-02

.1699

-.2651

.4151

.454

40.964

.653

7.500E-02

.1654

-.2590

.4090

Table 1: Independent Samples Test – Differences Between Freshmen and Sophomores
As set out in Table 1 above, although there are differences between freshmen and sophomore students,
these differences are not statistically significant, with p = 0.452 and 0.661 respectively. Both freshmen
and sophomore students agree and strongly agree with the idea that the faculty should invest and pay
much more attention to learning- supporting extracurricular activities such as clubs, seminars and
contests with the means fluctuating from 1.5750 to 1.8000 (see Appendix C, B2).
4.4.2. Differences Between Freshmen and Juniors

20


Levene's Test
for Equality of
Variances
F
I think that
Equal
our faculty variances 9.924
should invest assumed
more in
Equal
clubs,
variances not
seminars, and
assumed
contests
The faculty
Equal
.028

and teachers variances
should pay
assumed
much more
attention to
Equal
the learningvariances not
supporting
assumed
extracurricul
ar activities

t-test for Equality of Means
t

df

Sig. (2tailed)

.003

-1.468

58

.148

-.2250

.1533

-.5319 8.187E-02

-1.221

24.922

.233

-.2250

.1842

-.6045

.1545

-2.960

58

.004

-.5250

.1774

-.8800

-.1700

-3.103

43.221

.003

-.5250

.1692

-.8662

-.1838

.869

Mean
Std. Error
Difference Difference

95% Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Lower
Upper

Sig.

Table 2: Independent Samples Test- Differences Between Freshmen and Juniors

Table 2 indicates that, with respect to the issue that the faculty and teachers should pay more attention
to the learning- supporting extracurricular activities, the difference between freshmen and junior
students is statistically significant, with p =0.004. However, this number only shows the difference
between freshmen and junior students in the way they chose agree or strongly agree for the given
issue. Most freshmen and junior students agreed or strongly agreed with the notion that the faculty
should invest and pay more attention to clubs, seminars and contests with the means fluctuating from
1.6500 to 2.1750 (see Appendix C, B3). However, the number of freshmen who chose the first answer
(strongly agree) was more than that of junior students, indicating that freshmen students have a
stronger desire to participate in such activities and the faculty should offer more practical and concrete
solutions to address the demands of such students.
For the other comparisons, no statistical differences were found; all the charts of results show small
differences between freshmen and senior students (see Appendix C, table B4.1), sophomore and
junior students (see Appendix C, table B5.1), sophomore and senior students (see Appendix C, table
B6.1) and junior and senior students (see Appendix C, table B7.1). Nevertheless, these small
differences still indicate that first year students find it more necessary to participate in these activities
21


as opposed to the more senior students. It is apparent that freshmen students have a desire to become
involved in extracurricular activities.
4.5. Differences in Terms of Faculties
In Table C1, (see Appendix C), there are three issues that differ statistically. The first one is seen with
the question, “I think that our faculty should invest more in clubs, seminars, and contests”, with p =
0.000. The second difference is seen with the question, “I hope that there would be more seminars
with a variety of topics”, with p = 0.003. The last difference is the issue that the “faculty and teachers
should pay much more attention to the learning- supporting extracurricular activities”, with p =
0.001. All of these three issues are close-ended questions meant to elicit responses from students to
judge whether such students chose strongly agree, agree, no idea, disagree, or strongly disagree. The
difference in the responses is examined in the following detailed comparisons.
4.5.1. Differences Between the Faculty of Foreign Languages (FFL) and the Faculty of Social

Works (FSW)
Levene's Test
for Equality of
Variances
F
Equal
I think that our variances
faculty should assumed
invest more in
Equal
clubs, seminars, variances
and contests
not
assumed
Equal
variances
I hope that there
assumed
would be more
Equal
seminars with a
variances
variety of topics
not
assumed
The faculty and
Equal
teachers should variances
pay much more assumed
attention to the

Equal
learningvariances
supporting
not
extracurricular
assumed
activities

.262

Sig.

t-test for Equality of Means
t

.610 4.139

df

Mean
Std. Error
Sig. (2tailed) Difference Difference

98

4.314 30.841

.183

.670 2.930

98

3.727 43.464

.192

.662 1.375

98

1.398 29.845

95% Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Lower
Upper

.000

.6250

.1510

.3254

.9246

.000

.6250

.1449

.3294

.9206

.004

.5250

.1792

.1694

.8806

.001

.5250

.1409

.2410

.8090

.172

.2125

.1545

-9.4137E-02

.5191

.172

.2125

.1520

-9.8056E-02

.5231

Table 3: Independent Samples Test- Differences Between FFL and FSW
22


From Table 3 above, it is apparent that the first two issues are statistically significant with p = 0.000
and 0.004 respectively. Basing on Table C2 (see Appendix C), we see that while most students of FFL
agree with the idea that the faculty should invest more in clubs, seminars, and contests with a mean of
1.925 (agree), the students of FSW strongly agree with this notion with a mean of 1.300 (strongly
agree). This indicates that the demand by FSW students for these activities is greater than that of the
demand by FFL students.
As among the different kinds of activities, seminars seem to be the most expected one for the students

of FSW, with most students choosing the answer 1 (strongly agree) for the term relating to seminars,
with a mean of 1.400. Meanwhile, the students of FFL just agree with the idea there would be more
seminars with a variety of topics, with a mean of 1.9250. Finally, the students of FSW are those who
strongly expect more attention to be paid to the learning- supporting extracurricular activities from the
faculty and the teachers with a mean of 1.5500, whereas the students of FFL just agree with that
notion, with mean of 1.7625. This difference is not statistically significant with p= 0.172.
In general, the expectations of the students in FSW seem to be stronger than the expectations of the
students in FFL. Notwithstanding the differences between the students in these two faculties, all
students are united in the desire for such learning-supporting extracurricurlar activities to be offered.
4.5.2. Differences between the Faculty of Foreign Languages (FFL) and Faculty of Physics (FP)
Levene's
Test for
Equality of
Variances
F

Sig.

t-test for Equality of Means

t

df

I think that our
Equal
98
faculty should variances 7.096 .009 -.529
invest more in assumed
clubs,

Equal
seminars, and variances not
-.752 56.944
contests
assumed
I hope that
Equal
98
there would be variances 2.295 .133 -1.259
more seminars assumed
with a variety
Equal
-1.625 44.849
of topics variances not

Sig. (2tailed)

Mean
Difference

Std. Error
Difference

.598

-7.5000E-02

.1418

.455

-7.5000E-02 9.969E-02

95% Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Lower
Upper
-.3565

.2065

-.2746

.1246
.1297

.211

-.2250

.1787

-.5797

.111

-.2250

.1385

-.5040 5.397E-02

23


assumed
The faculty
Equal
98
and teachers variances .004 .948 -3.823
should pay
assumed
much more
attention to the
Equal
learningvariances not
-3.955 30.548
supporting
assumed
extracurricular
activities

.000

-.5875

.1537

-.8925

-.2825

.000

-.5875

.1485

-.8906

-.2844

Table 4: Independent Samples Test – Differences Between FFL and FP
While Table 4 shows that the two faculties differ statistically in the third question with p= 0.000, the
Table of Group Statistics (see Appendix C. C3), indicate means of 1.7625 and 2.3500 respectively.
This indicates a lack of obvious distinctions between students of FFL and FP in their attitudes toward
the three different terms. Although students of both faculties differ statistically, the students share the
same agreement with the notion that their faculties should invest more in clubs, seminars and contests,
with means of 1.9250 and 2.0000 respectively. With respect to the idea of more seminars with a
variety of topics, the means are 1.9250 and 2.1500 respectively. These students also believe that the
faculties and the teachers should pay more attention to the learning- supporting extracurricular
activities, with the exception of some neutral students of FP with mean numbers of 1.7625 and 2.3500
respectively.
4.5.3. Differences Between the Faculty of Foreign Languages (FFL) and the Faculty of Math
(FM)
Levene's Test
for Equality of
Variances
F

I think that our
faculty should
invest more in
clubs, seminars,
and contests
I hope that there
would be more
seminars with a
variety of topics
The faculty and
teachers should
pay much more

Equal
variances 1.011
assumed
Equal
variances
not assumed
Equal
variances 4.257
assumed
Equal
variances
not assumed
Equal
variances 1.585
assumed

Sig.

t-test for Equality of Means
t

.317 -1.665

Mean
Sig. (2tailed) Difference

Df

98

.211

95% Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Lower Upper

.099

-.2750

.1651

-.6027 5.267E-02

.179

-.2750

.1985

-.6844

.1344

.888

2.500E-02

.1774

-.3271

.3771

.191 50.009

.850

2.500E-02

.1312

-.2385

.2885

-.837

.404

-.1375

.1642

-.4634

.1884

-1.385 24.353
.042

Std. Error
Difference

.141

98

98

24


attention to the
Equal

learningvariances
supporting
extracurricular not assumed
activities

-.726 25.215

.475

-.1375

.1894

-.5274

.2524

Table 5: Independent Samples Test- Differences Between FFL and FM
As set out in Table 5 above, all three issues are not statistically different with p = 0.009, 0.888 and
0.404 respectively. These results are similar to the results with respect to the Faculty of Physics in that
the results are nearly equal between groups in different faculties. As per Table C4, (see Appendix C),
students mostly chose answers of 2 (agree) for the three questions provided with means fluctuating
from 1.7625 to 2.2000. Students of both FFL and FM agreed with the need to have more activities and
the need to have more attention to these activities provided by their faculties and teachers.
In conclusion, from the analysis above, while differences can be seen generally as between the various
faculties, it is difficult to distinguish any obvious and detailed differences in the face of the one
unifying thread amongst the groups, that being the need for more learning- supporting extracurricular
activities to be provided by the faculties.
V. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Recapitulation

The research attempts to figure out the reality of the performance of learning- supporting
extracurricular activities at the Faculty of Foreign Languages and some other faculties to see that what
we have done and what we haven’t yet done. Besides that, I so want to find out the students’
expectations about such kind of activities in order to give the ideas to the faculty. Then, I did some
comparisons in terms of gender, year of study and faculties to see the different attitudes towards the
related topic. It’s not doubtful that there are certain points that the faculty the teachers and the students
should pay attention to when mentioning the learning- supporting extracurricular activities.
First of all, the things that students are often unsatisfied with are facilities, content, time, participants,
finance or organizers. Secondly, the clubs that students wish to join are English speaking club,
25