The importance of sport of university students during campus life

Abstract

Today's universities are in the effort to contribute to university student's socialization process by providing sports opportunities. These activities, which are a part of university education, should be seen as activities that aim at develop people's social aspects and social awareness. This research aims at signifying students' sports habits during their free times and a evaluating their opinions and expectations. Research team and technique, the research is conducted through 94 female, 161 male students who stay dormitories. The data obtained from the survey is interpreted and explained by participation in sports the selection of sports branch X2 test is used. The discoveries of the research; the 55% of the students who participate in the survey were interested in sports and did sports to assess their free times before university and 9,3 percent of them used sports as an opportunity to spend time with their friends. 17.4% of them were directed to sports to get rid of the stress of the classes. 89% of them think physical education courses in universities are good opportunities to be able to sport and 57% of them wishes these courses would be 4 hours and two times a week. 67.3% of these students want new branches to be opened in addition to the existing ones. The result of proposals of the research; it is detected that the students are generally happy with their sports opportunities but they are expect more sports courses, branches and opportunities in week-days apart from their free times in weekends. It is signified in this research that male student are more active them female ones in sport activities. Besides it is concluded that gender issue plays a big role in the selection of sports branch. While a male student generally gives priority to football (soccer) and basketball, female students choose aerobics, tennis and volleyball.

Full text

Energy Education Science and Technology Part B: Social and Educational Studies
2012 Volume (issue) 4(1): 495-500
The importance of sport of
university students during campus life
Melih N. Salman*
Aksaray University,Physical Education and Sports Academy, Aksaray, Turkey
Received: 301 February 2011; accepted: 09 March 2011
Abstract
Today’s universities are in the effort to contribute to university student’s socialization process by
providing sports opportunities. These activities, which are a part of university education, should be
seen as activities that aim at develop people’s social aspects and social awareness. This research aims
at signifying students’ sports habits during their free times and a evaluating their opinions and
expectations. Research team and technique, the research is conducted through 94 female, 161 male
students who stay dormitories. The data obtained from the survey is interpreted and explained by
participation in sports the selection of sports branch X2test is used. The discoveries of the research;
the 55% of the students who participate in the survey were interested in sports and did sports to assess
their free times before university and 9,3 percent of them used sports as an opportunity to spend time
with their friends. 17.4% of them were directed to sports to get rid of the stress of the classes. 89% of
them think physical education courses in universities are good opportunities to be able to sport and
57% of them wishes these courses would be 4 hours and two times a week. 67.3% of these students
want new branches to be opened in addition to the existing ones. The result of proposals of the
research; it is detected that the students are generally happy with their sports opportunities but they are
expect more sports courses, branches and opportunities in week-days apart from their free times in
weekends. It is signified in this research that male student are more active them female ones in sport
activities. Besides it is concluded that gender issue plays a big role in the selection of sports branch.
While a male student generally gives priority to football (soccer) and basketball, female students
choose aerobics, tennis and volleyball.
Keywords: University life; Free times; Participation in sports; Gender
© Sila Science. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
Many researchers have been conducted on the university students so far [1-8]. In these researches,
most of which rely on the problem scanning inventory valuation, the fields of problems that the
university students encounter have been grouped as follows: 1- Future, 2-Finding job and economic
life, 3- life at university, 4- evaluation of free and social time, 5- health, 6- teaching and methods of
teaching, 7-communicating with people, 8-family, 9-relationships with the opposite sex, 10-problems
related to the religion and ethics.
In many researchers conducted on the university students about this issue both at home and abroad,
it is said that the priority is given to the academic development of the students, and apart from this,
some issues such as spending free time and meeting the personal needs with physical and social
_____________
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +90-506-599-81-81; fax: +90-532-221-4267.
E-mail address:melihsalman@windowslive.com (M. N. Salman).
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496 M. N. Salman / EEST Part B Social and Educational Studies 4 (2012) 495-500
development are left behind. Out of the documents in the light of these researches, some important
conclusions such as the fact that the student’s health, physical, social and personal developments
should be maintained in parallel with intellectual and academic ones have been reached [9-12 ].
Multi-directional new scientific researchers are needed to determine the problems of the university
youth that constitutes one of the most dynamic groups in our country too. It can be said that the
researchers conducted on this issue in Turkey are very few in number in the process of history. The
studies conducted on this issue had been given by different researchers [13-21].
The aim of this study is to determine the routine of free-time sport in the lives of students who stay
at the university dormitories and to emphasize their expectations about this issue by evaluating their
views on the sports possibilities they have.
2. Method
This research has been conducted on 94 female and 161 male students who stay at the dormitories
located in Hacettepe University, Beytepe Campus. A survey containing 12 questions have been
fostered to obtain the conclusions. The conclusions reached at the end of the survey have been
explained and interpreted with tables in frequency and percentage. X2 test has been used in
determining gender roles while choosing the branch of the sport and in attending any sport activity of
the individuals present at the research group.
3. Findings
36.7% of the students in the research group are the females while 63.3% are males. When the
students’ life time at campus was analyzed, it has been pointed out that 27.7% of the students are
having their first year, 35.5% of them have been living for 2 years, 18.7% for 3 years, and 18.0% for 4
years. It has been determined that a majority of the students (89.0%) were content with the sports
possibilities offered to them while the ones who stayed as doubtful about this issue and who do not
find the possibilities enough have consisted 11.0% of the group. The activities the students staying at
the dormitories prefer in their free time are given in Table 1 as their first and second choice separately.
Table 1. Distribution of the students’ free time activities according to their kinds
Type of activity 1st choice
Number % 2nd choice
Number %
Listening to music 64 25.0 15 5.9
Doing sports 57 22.4 44 17.2
Resting 33 12.9 61 23.8
Playing computer games 28 10.9 41 16.0
Watching TV 20 7.8 31 12.1
Reading 19 7.4 17 6.6
Chatting with friends 18 7.0 36 14.1
Theatre- art etc. 10 3.9 7 2.7
Others (photography, handicrafts, sculpture) 7 2.7 4 1.6
Total 256 100.0 256 100.0
As seen at Table 1, the students mostly spend their free time listening to music (25.0%). This
activity is followed respectively by doing sports (22.4%) and having a rest (12.9%). And when the
second choice of the research group has been examined, it has been pointed out that 23.8% prefers to
have a rest, and this activity is followed respectively by doing sports (17.2%) and playing computer
games (16.0%). The distribution according to the gender roles of the students in the research group
and who regularly do or do not do sports is given in Table 2.
It has been determined that 16.8% of the students in the research group do not take part in any
sports activity but rather they take part in other social and cultural activities. When the groups taking
part in sports activities are examined, it has been determined that 62.4% of the males and 42.5% of the
males regularly do sports. It has been pointed out that the percentage of the ones who take part in
sports activities from time to time though not regularly is 28.1%. The branches the students prefer
while doing sports are given in Table 3.
According to table 3, the branch the students prefer mostly has been detected to be football with
44.1%. This branch is followed by basketball with 22.5% and tennis with 11.3%. The other sports
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M. N. Salman / EEST Part B Social and Educational Studies 4 (2012) 495-500 497
Table 2. The distribution of the students who do/do not do sports regularly according to their
gender
Habits of doing sports
The number of students
of the females % of the males % Number %
The ones who do sports actively and regularly 40 42.5 101 62.4 141 55.1
The ones who do not have a habit to do sports regularly 33 35.1 39 24.1 72 28.1
The ones who do not sportsbut only get interested in cultural activities 21 22.4 22 13.5 43 16.8
Total 94 100.0 162 100.0 256 100.0
Table 3. The distribution of the branches the students prefer (n = 213)
Branch of the sport The number of the students %
Football 94 44.1
Basketball 48 22.5
Tennis 24 11.3
Aerobics-fitness-dance 19 8.9
Atletism-kros 15 7.1
Volleyball 13 6.1
Total 213 100.0
branches such as aerobics – fitness, dance, athleticism, volleyball follow the first three branches. It has
been researched why the students do sports and to what reasons they are based upon and the findings
have been given in Table 4.
Table 4. The distribution according to the reasons why the students do sports (n = 213 )
Reasons for doing sports The number of the students %
To love sports 95 44.6
To be healthy 46 21.6
To get away from the stress of the courses 37 17.4
To be with friends 20 9.3
To spend free time 15 7.1
Total 213 100.0
According to Table 4, it has been found that 44.6% prefer to do sports as they like, 21.6% to stay
healthy, and 17.4% to move away from the stressful atmosphere created by the courses.
The views of the students related to the creation of the new sports possibilities and having new
course hours in addition to the existing course hours are given in Table 5.
Table 5. The distribution of the answers given to the question that at campus new opportunities
should be supplied for new branches (n = 213)
Branch of sports The number of the students %
Swimming 87 40.8
Aerobics-step-Pilates 69 32.4
Cycling 14 6.6
Cross – Hiking 25 11.7
The other branches
(Am. Foot.. Badminton, Billiards etc). 11 5.2
Far east sports (Judo, Aikido etc) 7 3.3
Total 213 100.0
As seen in Table 5, 40.8% of them demand swimming courses, and 32.4% aerobics-step and Pilates
courses to take place in their schedule. It has also been seen that these branches are followed by the
other sports branches together with the sports activities such as cross-walking.
Table 6. The distribution of being active in sports according to the students’ gender (n = 256)
Gender The ones who actively do
Sports % The ones who don’t
Sports % Total
Sports %
Male 136 83.9 26 16.1 162 100.0
Female 55 58.5 39 23.9 94 100.0
Total 191 74.6 65 25.4 256 100.0
Sd:1; X2=10.24; P < 0.05.
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498 M. N. Salman / EEST Part B Social and Educational Studies 4 (2012) 495-500
As seen Table 6, when whether the students take part in the sports activities actively or not has
been examined, it has been found that 83.9% of the male students are interested in sports actively
whereas 16.1% do not prefer to be interested in sports actively. It has also been found that while
58.5% are actively interested in sports, the ration of the ones who are not interested is 23.9%. In the
light of these findings, it has been seen that there is a big difference (sd:1 X2 = 10.24) in taking part in
sports activities actively between male students and female students.
As seen Table 7, the distribution of the branches that the students have preferred/will prefers while
doing sport/wanting to do sport according to the gender is given. While the female students prefer
aerobics (39.4%) and tennis (24.5%) primarily, the male students’ first choice is football (54.9%) and
their second choice is basketball (27.2%). Based on these findings, it has been concluded that there is a
big difference (Sd: 4, x2=98.9 ) in the branches the students choose while they are doing/will do sports
between females and males.
Table 7. The distribution of the branches which the students have preferred/will prefer
according to their gender
Gender Football
S % Basketball
S % Aerobics
S % Tennis
S % Volleyball
S % Total
S %
Female 8 8.5 12 12.8 37 39.4 23 24.5 14 14.8 94 100.0
Male 89 54.9 44 27.2 7 4.3 12 7.4 10 6.2 162 100.0
Total 97 37.9 56 21.9 44 17.2 35 13.6 24 9.4 256 100.0
Sd: 4; X2=98.9; P < 0.05; S: sports.
The findings that have been found as a result of questioning the students (n = 196) who have
chosen the physical education course that has being given practically at the university at this term or
the previous terms about whether the choices of courses are enough and whether they are eager to
have new branches are given in Table 8.
Table 8. The distribution of the answers the students gave to the question that the new branches
should be supplied in the PE courses (n = 196)
Demand for the opening of the course The number of the students %
New branches should be had 132 67.3
The present application is enough 60 30.6
In determined 4 2.1
Total 196 100.0
Based on the information at table 8, it has been found that the students want the new branches to be
added too in the context of this course in addition to the courses existing in the schedule. The ration of
the students who want the new courses is 67.3%. It has also been found in the research that while 43%
assert that the physical education and sports course for two hours in a week is enough for themselves,
57.0% agree that to have courses for 2 days and four hours in a week would be more suitable for them.
4. Discussion and conclusion
This research has been conducted to determine the routine of doing sports of the university students
that go on their lives at campus, to show their views about the adequateness of the sports facilities they
have and to show their expectations about sports. The research group consists of 256 students, 36.7%
of whom are females, and 63.3% of whom are males.
It has been found that 44.6% of the university students prefer to do sports because they like, 21.6%
to stay healthy, and 17.4% to move away from the stressful atmosphere created by the courses. The
conclusions of this research bear a resemblance to the ones conducted on the university youth in 1985
by the Head of the Department of the Youth Services and Activities [22]. As a result of the research, it
has been determined that the great majority of the students (89.0%) have been content with the sports
possibilities provided by the university for them at campus.
When the activities the students do in their free time are examined, it has been seen that primarily
they like listening to the music most (25.0%), and that this activity is followed by respectively doing
sports (22.4%) and having a rest (12.9%). When the fact that having a rest and listening to music is a
passive activity is taken into the consideration, it can be said that doing sport is left as the only active
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M. N. Salman / EEST Part B Social and Educational Studies 4 (2012) 495-500 499
one. With the results that have been obtained through this research, it has been found out that it is a
very high ratio like the ration of the ones reading newspapers, magazines, and books not related to the
courses found in a research conducted on the problems of the university youth by Aksu [18]. Based on
the results obtained through this research, it has been concluded that there have been major changes in
the free time activities of the university youth in the last 15-20 years and that playing computer games
has started have a bigger room in the free time activities.
As a result of the research, it has been determined that the sports branch that the males prefer
mostly is football (54.9%). Basketball follows this branch with 27.2%. As for the females, it has been
determined that they prefer aerobics-fitness-dance in the first place (39.4%), and that this branch is
followed by tennis (24.5%). Based on these results, it has been concluded that there are big differences
( Sd: 4; X2=98.9 ) in the preferences of the branch between male and female students. According to
the research results conducted in our country in 1983, it has been found out that 92.8% of the males
prefer sports such as basketball, football, handball and volleyball [23]. Similar results have been
obtained through the research by Schnitger and Gokmen [24]. The documents obtained in this research
support the previous ones too.
When whether the students take part in the sports activities actively or not is examined, it has been
found that 83.9% of the male students are interested in sports actively whereas only % 58.5 of the
female students take part in the sport activities actively. In the light of the results obtained, it has been
concluded that there is a big difference (sd:1; X2 = 10.24) in taking part in sports between males and
females. This conclusion can be interpreted to demonstrate compliance with the rest of Turkey and to
assert that female students do not take part in sports activities at a required level even at campus.
Whether the branches and the course hours are adequate or not has been asked to the students who see
the physical education and sports course which is given practically at the university as a big advantage
in terms of doing sports and who take this course, and it has been found out that the students agree on
the point signifying the fact that the courses are done for two days and two hours in a week in addition
to including some other branches absent in the existing schedule would be more beneficial for them.
The sports branches the students want mostly are respectively swimming and aerobics-Pilates-dance,
cross-walking. The results of this research resemble those of Salman and Salman a lot [25].
It has been concluded that in the social lives of the students there are many activities, that nearly all
of these activities are the ones that can be done in a passive life, and that to have an active life, the
only activity left is sports. It has been found out that sports has an important role in the campus life,
that optional sports courses are preferred widely among the students, that these courses are seen as an
important means to do sports, and that the diversity of this course should be increased. It has been
determined that sports are more common among the males whereas the females are less willing in
taking part in sports activities. It has been concluded that it would be beneficial to exhibit some efforts
to have the females acquire sports habits, to regulate some activities that would draw the females more
into the sports activities, and to improve sports habits starting from the primary school [26-29].
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