This was written for the University subject, BCM212.
OPINION PIECE:
The importance and relevance of Clubs and Societies in the lives of an everyday university student is difficult to ascertain without actually asking a student about how relevant extracurricular Clubs and Societies are in their day-to-day academic life. Hence, why I chose to research this topic as I found it to be pertinent to my own interests and my sensibilities as a ‘practice researcher’ (i.e. picking a topic that I found personally engaging). The main aspect I was curious to learn more about in regards to Clubs and Societies at university were students’ reasons for joining or not joining a society. In terms of the data collected, in the form of a quantitative survey and a series of qualitative interviews, something that was expected was that the majority of students answering the survey had never joined or weren’t currently a part of a single Club or Society, and that their reasons for not joining were largely to do with a lack of time and interest.
The importance and relevance of Clubs and Societies in the lives of an everyday university student is difficult to ascertain without actually asking a student about how relevant extracurricular Clubs and Societies are in their day-to-day academic life. Hence, why I chose to research this topic as I found it to be pertinent to my own interests and my sensibilities as a ‘practice researcher’ (i.e. picking a topic that I found personally engaging). The main aspect I was curious to learn more about in regards to Clubs and Societies at university were students’ reasons for joining or not joining a society. In terms of the data collected, in the form of a quantitative survey and a series of qualitative interviews, something that was expected was that the majority of students answering the survey had never joined or weren’t currently a part of a single Club or Society, and that their reasons for not joining were largely to do with a lack of time and interest.
The interviews further qualified the results from the survey, with two of the three interview subjects noted that sporting Clubs and Societies were seemingly not promoted as much as ‘special interest’ Clubs and Societies (e.g. cosplay, video gaming, reading etc.). Interestingly, however, the most surprising thing I found from the research was that the gap between those that did and didn’t join a Club or Society wasn’t as large as initially anticipated. It should also be noted that the research data collected as a part of this project would mostly benefit universities, arguably more so than the students of universities, as they can decide whether or not more focus needs to be placed on getting students invested and interested in Clubs and Societies. However, it would be remiss of me not to emphasise the fact that, in total, there were only seventeen survey respondents and three interviewees - totalling, therefore, only twenty participants in the entirety of this research project. So clearly, none of the results or data from this research project should be considered definitive. Rather, as with any paper or study, it should be treated as a mere stepping stone for future research.
The survey was centred around a descriptive design of quantitative research. This approach was used as I, as a researcher, did not “begin with a hypothesis, but [instead] developed one after the data [was] collected…”, meaning that the survey was “mostly observational in nature…” (Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching, 2019), formulating an hypothesis after the fact. A full outline of the survey questions used and the responses from the survey questions can be found below. In summary, there were seventeen total responses to the survey. Each participant was told that their responses could be used as part of a research project, and that nothing in the survey would reveal their identity. Firstly, Question Two provided a general idea of whether or not people were a part of or once a part of a Club or Society. Interestingly, as stated earlier in this piece, the gap between the two groups was minimal, with 41.18% answering Yes to being part of a Club or Society, and 58.82% saying No to being part of a Club or Society - a much smaller gap than I first anticipated. Secondly, most students’ first contact with Clubs and Societies was overwhelmingly a result of their Orientation Day at University, with an 88.24% majority. Thirdly, for those who had joined a Club or Society, the students’ main reason for joining was the result of a hobby or interest. However, despite the results of the previous question, only 14.29% of responses said they had joined one out of interest arising from their visit on Orientation Day. In addition, opinions were somewhat divided on whether or not students’ university did a good enough job of promoting Clubs and Societies to them, with 56.25% answering Yes and 43.75% answering No. Therefore, the data from my survey as a whole, though preliminary, might suggest that a University’s Orientation Day doesn’t necessarily work as intended (enticing students into new hobbies or interests that they might not otherwise have considered).
This was followed up on in the interviews, of which there were three in total. Each participant's identity was held in confidentiality and given a pseudonym, as per research ethical norms and the MEAA Code of Ethics. While a full transcript of the three interviews is not included, a general outline of the qualitative data collected from these interviews will be provided as part of this opinion piece. As a side-note on the subject of qualitative data, this interview method was chosen as it allowed for what is known as ‘creative interviewing’, a process by which the interview is “flexible [and] semi-structured [responding] to situational dynamics…rather than following a predetermined structure…” (Mason, 2019). Because of this, while the template for the interviews is included below, much of the interviews were looser in their questioning and flow by design. In terms of the responses within the interviews, two participants noted the seeming lack of sports related Clubs and Societies. One of the interviewees, while answering positively to the idea of the University promoting more sports-based Clubs, didn’t think there was an imbalance between special interests Clubs and sports-based Clubs, but more so that “people are more likely to promote special interest groups because they have those special interests…” and that people interested in playing sports at University go seeking out those sports rather than having said sports "thrust upon them”. Another interviewee stated that their time at University was more “about the subjects that I was doing, instead of the Clubs and Societies…”. In correlation with the survey results, all three interviewees, irrespective of whether or not they were not in a Club or Society, stated a lack of time to join a Club or Society or be a part of another one.
Looking at the data as a whole, my initial conceptions of how the data would look is partially right and partially wrong. For one thing, I assumed that the divide between those who had and hadn’t joined a Club or Society would be a lot larger than it actually was. But much of the specific reasons for why people had or hadn’t joined a Club or Society were largely what I expected, either citing a lack of time to join one as well as there being a large number of Clubs and Societies which didn’t peak their interest. My hypothesis, though once again preliminary due to the small sample size, is that Universities might need to give students more time and/or incentive to join a Club or Society. Another possible conclusion to derive from this data is that Clubs and Societies, though regularly promoted by the University, might not be as significant in a student’s life as I initially believed.
REFLECTION:
Looking back on my overall time spent researching in BCM212, I have good feelings about it. I feel like I learned a lot when it comes to research practice, while also reaffirming things I already knew or had learnt about in previous subjects. For one thing, in one of my earlier semesters, I had a subject centred around Media Ethics and Law. Despite the apparent ‘dryness’ of the material, I not only did well in it academically, but also met some new friends who I had plenty of good times with in the tutorials. When it comes to ‘crossover material’, the MEAA Code of Ethics once more reared its ugly head in BCM212, but for good reason: it’s there to protect those who you are researching, but it’s also there to protect you as the researcher - or journalist.
More excitingly for me, however, more so than a code of ethical practice, would be the core of the subject: actually practicing research - for real. While not the most glamorous subject that might exist at university, I nonetheless found it to be highly engaging. By actually creating a research project with a definable goal, it taught me a lot about good research practice and how in-depth and varied it could become: the different types of research like quantitative and qualitative, the necessary adherence to ethics and morality and the long, long hours spent grinding away at a relatively mundane task in the name of furthering knowledge and human understanding. In addition to all these factors, reflexivity was a point that was hammered away at throughout the semester and for good reason. At its core, you are the subject of research as much as you are the researcher. So, through reflexivity and through my chosen research project, I discovered that I was looking at the project from the inside out as a student myself…rather than just a casual observer looking from the outside in. And while all the different things I learned in the subject might not necessarily apply to me further down the line once I get into a profession that I want to be a part of, I think some of the baseline skills from BCM212 will remain useful, years after the fact. However, if I were to change one thing about my time in the subject, I probably could have allocated my time better throughout instead of crawling at the beginning of my research project then rushing full-pelt towards the end.
Although in fairness, as any university student would tell you, you could say that about practically any subject.
COLLECTED DATA SUMMARY:
SURVEY QUESTIONS:
The survey was centred around a descriptive design of quantitative research. This approach was used as I, as a researcher, did not “begin with a hypothesis, but [instead] developed one after the data [was] collected…”, meaning that the survey was “mostly observational in nature…” (Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching, 2019), formulating an hypothesis after the fact. A full outline of the survey questions used and the responses from the survey questions can be found below. In summary, there were seventeen total responses to the survey. Each participant was told that their responses could be used as part of a research project, and that nothing in the survey would reveal their identity. Firstly, Question Two provided a general idea of whether or not people were a part of or once a part of a Club or Society. Interestingly, as stated earlier in this piece, the gap between the two groups was minimal, with 41.18% answering Yes to being part of a Club or Society, and 58.82% saying No to being part of a Club or Society - a much smaller gap than I first anticipated. Secondly, most students’ first contact with Clubs and Societies was overwhelmingly a result of their Orientation Day at University, with an 88.24% majority. Thirdly, for those who had joined a Club or Society, the students’ main reason for joining was the result of a hobby or interest. However, despite the results of the previous question, only 14.29% of responses said they had joined one out of interest arising from their visit on Orientation Day. In addition, opinions were somewhat divided on whether or not students’ university did a good enough job of promoting Clubs and Societies to them, with 56.25% answering Yes and 43.75% answering No. Therefore, the data from my survey as a whole, though preliminary, might suggest that a University’s Orientation Day doesn’t necessarily work as intended (enticing students into new hobbies or interests that they might not otherwise have considered).
This was followed up on in the interviews, of which there were three in total. Each participant's identity was held in confidentiality and given a pseudonym, as per research ethical norms and the MEAA Code of Ethics. While a full transcript of the three interviews is not included, a general outline of the qualitative data collected from these interviews will be provided as part of this opinion piece. As a side-note on the subject of qualitative data, this interview method was chosen as it allowed for what is known as ‘creative interviewing’, a process by which the interview is “flexible [and] semi-structured [responding] to situational dynamics…rather than following a predetermined structure…” (Mason, 2019). Because of this, while the template for the interviews is included below, much of the interviews were looser in their questioning and flow by design. In terms of the responses within the interviews, two participants noted the seeming lack of sports related Clubs and Societies. One of the interviewees, while answering positively to the idea of the University promoting more sports-based Clubs, didn’t think there was an imbalance between special interests Clubs and sports-based Clubs, but more so that “people are more likely to promote special interest groups because they have those special interests…” and that people interested in playing sports at University go seeking out those sports rather than having said sports "thrust upon them”. Another interviewee stated that their time at University was more “about the subjects that I was doing, instead of the Clubs and Societies…”. In correlation with the survey results, all three interviewees, irrespective of whether or not they were not in a Club or Society, stated a lack of time to join a Club or Society or be a part of another one.
Looking at the data as a whole, my initial conceptions of how the data would look is partially right and partially wrong. For one thing, I assumed that the divide between those who had and hadn’t joined a Club or Society would be a lot larger than it actually was. But much of the specific reasons for why people had or hadn’t joined a Club or Society were largely what I expected, either citing a lack of time to join one as well as there being a large number of Clubs and Societies which didn’t peak their interest. My hypothesis, though once again preliminary due to the small sample size, is that Universities might need to give students more time and/or incentive to join a Club or Society. Another possible conclusion to derive from this data is that Clubs and Societies, though regularly promoted by the University, might not be as significant in a student’s life as I initially believed.
REFLECTION:
Looking back on my overall time spent researching in BCM212, I have good feelings about it. I feel like I learned a lot when it comes to research practice, while also reaffirming things I already knew or had learnt about in previous subjects. For one thing, in one of my earlier semesters, I had a subject centred around Media Ethics and Law. Despite the apparent ‘dryness’ of the material, I not only did well in it academically, but also met some new friends who I had plenty of good times with in the tutorials. When it comes to ‘crossover material’, the MEAA Code of Ethics once more reared its ugly head in BCM212, but for good reason: it’s there to protect those who you are researching, but it’s also there to protect you as the researcher - or journalist.
More excitingly for me, however, more so than a code of ethical practice, would be the core of the subject: actually practicing research - for real. While not the most glamorous subject that might exist at university, I nonetheless found it to be highly engaging. By actually creating a research project with a definable goal, it taught me a lot about good research practice and how in-depth and varied it could become: the different types of research like quantitative and qualitative, the necessary adherence to ethics and morality and the long, long hours spent grinding away at a relatively mundane task in the name of furthering knowledge and human understanding. In addition to all these factors, reflexivity was a point that was hammered away at throughout the semester and for good reason. At its core, you are the subject of research as much as you are the researcher. So, through reflexivity and through my chosen research project, I discovered that I was looking at the project from the inside out as a student myself…rather than just a casual observer looking from the outside in. And while all the different things I learned in the subject might not necessarily apply to me further down the line once I get into a profession that I want to be a part of, I think some of the baseline skills from BCM212 will remain useful, years after the fact. However, if I were to change one thing about my time in the subject, I probably could have allocated my time better throughout instead of crawling at the beginning of my research project then rushing full-pelt towards the end.
Although in fairness, as any university student would tell you, you could say that about practically any subject.
COLLECTED DATA SUMMARY:
SURVEY QUESTIONS:
1. Do you give your express consent for your responses in this survey to be used as part of a research project on Clubs and Societies? Your identity will be held in confidentiality. If you do not agree to these terms, please exit this survey and thank you for your time.
- Yes
- No
2. At University, did you ever join or are you currently in a Club or Society?
- No
2. At University, did you ever join or are you currently in a Club or Society?
- Yes
- No
3. Regardless of whether you answered Yes or No to the previous question, was your first contact with Clubs and Societies at the Orientation Day?
- No
3. Regardless of whether you answered Yes or No to the previous question, was your first contact with Clubs and Societies at the Orientation Day?
- Yes
- No
4. If you answered No to the previous question, briefly state what made you first aware of Clubs and Societies at University. If you answered Yes, type ‘Orientation Day’ or ‘OD’ and move on to the next question.
(Fill in the box)
5. If you answered Yes to Joining a Club/Society, what were your reasons for joining up? (Please select all that apply)
- No
4. If you answered No to the previous question, briefly state what made you first aware of Clubs and Societies at University. If you answered Yes, type ‘Orientation Day’ or ‘OD’ and move on to the next question.
(Fill in the box)
5. If you answered Yes to Joining a Club/Society, what were your reasons for joining up? (Please select all that apply)
- (Select this if you answered No to Joining a Club/Society)
- Because of a hobby/Interest
- Because of an obligation as part of subject at University
- Because of an interest resulting from a subject at University
- Because of interest arising from visiting on Orientation Day
- Because a friend/family member joined up to one
- Other (Fill in the box)
6. If you answered No to Joining a Club/Society, what were your reasons for not joining up? (Please select all that apply)
- Because of a hobby/Interest
- Because of an obligation as part of subject at University
- Because of an interest resulting from a subject at University
- Because of interest arising from visiting on Orientation Day
- Because a friend/family member joined up to one
- Other (Fill in the box)
6. If you answered No to Joining a Club/Society, what were your reasons for not joining up? (Please select all that apply)
- (Select this if you answered Yes to Joining a Club/Society)
- Lack of time
- Lack of interest
- No Clubs or Societies matching your interests
- Pressure of assessments
- Other (Fill in the box)
7. If you are already in a Club or Society, would you consider joining more?
- Lack of time
- Lack of interest
- No Clubs or Societies matching your interests
- Pressure of assessments
- Other (Fill in the box)
7. If you are already in a Club or Society, would you consider joining more?
- Yes
- No
- No, I am not in a Club or Society
8. If you are not in a Club or Society, would you consider joining one, if your reasons for not joining were no longer an issue?
- Yes
- No
- I am already in a Club or Society
9. Do you think your University does a good enough job of promoting Clubs and Societies to you?
- No
- I am already in a Club or Society
9. Do you think your University does a good enough job of promoting Clubs and Societies to you?
- Yes
- No
10. Thank you for your time and patience in filling out this survey. Once again, your results will be used as part of a research project, but your identity will remain confidential. If you do not wish for your results to be used, please close the survey. Do not select ‘No’ unless you want the results to be submitted but not used.
- No
10. Thank you for your time and patience in filling out this survey. Once again, your results will be used as part of a research project, but your identity will remain confidential. If you do not wish for your results to be used, please close the survey. Do not select ‘No’ unless you want the results to be submitted but not used.
- Yes
- No
- No
SURVEY RESPONSES:
(Both Question 1 & 10 were consent questions, with 100% of respondents answering Yes)
Question 2
- No: 58.82%
- Yes: 41.18%
Question 3
- Yes: 88.24%
- No: 11.76%
Question 4
- 15 responses total
- 13 responses: Orientation Day
- 1 response: My friends from high school joined clubs at Orientation
(Both Question 1 & 10 were consent questions, with 100% of respondents answering Yes)
Question 2
- No: 58.82%
- Yes: 41.18%
Question 3
- Yes: 88.24%
- No: 11.76%
Question 4
- 15 responses total
- 13 responses: Orientation Day
- 1 response: My friends from high school joined clubs at Orientation
- 1 response: University website and Facebook
Question 5
- Select this if you answered No to joining a Club or Society: 57.14%
- Because of a hobby or interest: 35.71%
- Because of an interest resulting from a subject at University: 21.43%
- Because a friend or family member joined up to one: 21.43%
- Because of interest arising from Orientation Day: 14.29%
- Because of an obligation as part of subject at University: 0%
Question 6
- Select this if you answered Yes to joining a Club or Society: 43.75%
- Lack of time: 37.50%
- Lack of interest: 31.25%
- No Clubs or Societies matching your interests: 25%
- Pressure of assessments: 12.50%
Question 7
- No, I am not in a Club or Society: 52.94%
- Yes: 29.41%
- No: 17.65%
Question 8
- Yes: 47.06%
- I am already in a Club or Society: 41.18%
- No: 11.76%
Question 9
- Yes: 56.25%
- No: 43.75%
Question 5
- Select this if you answered No to joining a Club or Society: 57.14%
- Because of a hobby or interest: 35.71%
- Because of an interest resulting from a subject at University: 21.43%
- Because a friend or family member joined up to one: 21.43%
- Because of interest arising from Orientation Day: 14.29%
- Because of an obligation as part of subject at University: 0%
Question 6
- Select this if you answered Yes to joining a Club or Society: 43.75%
- Lack of time: 37.50%
- Lack of interest: 31.25%
- No Clubs or Societies matching your interests: 25%
- Pressure of assessments: 12.50%
Question 7
- No, I am not in a Club or Society: 52.94%
- Yes: 29.41%
- No: 17.65%
Question 8
- Yes: 47.06%
- I am already in a Club or Society: 41.18%
- No: 11.76%
Question 9
- Yes: 56.25%
- No: 43.75%
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
1. This interview may be used as part of a research project on University Clubs and Societies, and shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes to complete. Agree to having this interview be used in the project and have your voice recorded? —> Pseudonym, ‘a BCM212 student’ etc.
2. Are you in a Club or Society?
3. If Yes, do you mind going into some of the reasons why you’re in a Club or Society?
4. If Yes, is the role just one of membership, or does it go into something like admin of the club like planning events or another role like that?
5. If No, do you mind going into some reasons why you’re not in a Club or Society?
6. Is there anything you think in particular the University could do to make Clubs or Societies better e.g. the promotion of them, the amount of focus they have on them, maybe having an even wider range of clubs and Societies etc.
7. Thank you for your time. Your results may be used, you will remain confidential, do you mind being potentially quoted in the research project as [pseudonym]?
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching 2019, ‘Quantitative Approaches’, Grand Canyon University, viewed 8th June 2019, <https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/quantresearch/approaches>.
Mason, J 2019, ‘Creative Interviewing’, The University of Manchester, viewed 8th June 2019, <https://www.methods.manchester.ac.uk/themes/qualitative-methods/creative-interviewing/>.
MEAA 2019, ‘MEAA | MEAA Journalist Code of Ethics’, viewed 8th June 2019, <https://www.meaa.org/meaa-media/code-of-ethics/>.
Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching 2019, ‘Quantitative Approaches’, Grand Canyon University, viewed 8th June 2019, <https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/quantresearch/approaches>.
Mason, J 2019, ‘Creative Interviewing’, The University of Manchester, viewed 8th June 2019, <https://www.methods.manchester.ac.uk/themes/qualitative-methods/creative-interviewing/>.
MEAA 2019, ‘MEAA | MEAA Journalist Code of Ethics’, viewed 8th June 2019, <https://www.meaa.org/meaa-media/code-of-ethics/>.
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