Quantitative Results
A sense of community is a very general and subjective thing. This study aims to measure it in both quantitative and qualitative means. Descriptive statistics were used in order to measure the “sense of community” amongst students. In the study a total of 118 students participated. eighty nine of the respondents were female, whilst only twenty nine were male.
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Valid Female
Getting to school is an important part of the study because people who live in the same areas have a chance to bond. They can offer each other rides or accompany one another whilst taking public transportation. The frequencies are seen below:
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Valid Own
Out of the respondents, only one was missing in the population. Ninety five had their own mode of transport and twenty two took public means of transportation.
In answering the question: “How much do you enjoy University?” The students were able to give one out of three responses. “Somewhat”, “Quite a lot” and “Totally”. Their answers are detailed below in a frequency table.
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Quite a lot
Most of the students were neutral with their response. Only seventeen respondents answered “Totally” for the section in the interview.
A sense of community would involve having a shared emotional connection. This was measured amongst students according to the answers that they have given. It is hypothesized that according to the questions, there is a shared emotional connection, yet the answers are not remarkable. This is seen when p<.05.
Independent Sample Test
Levene’s Test for Equality of
Shared Emotional Connection Subscale:
Equal Variances Assumed
Equal variances not assumed
The significant value of the test is seen at .295. This would make the significance for the test none to very weak. The values of the test prove to be not remarkable. This means that the students did not share a great connection with each other emotionally. It can be assumed that only some students shared an emotional connection, according to the independent sample test.
Correlations
Age in yeats
Sense of community total scale
Age in years
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-Tailed)
Sense of Community
Pearson Correlation
Total Scale
Sig. (2-Tailed)
The significance of the age of respondents was very significant. The correlation test resulted in a positive score of .899. The linear association of the significant numbers were moderate in value, giving us a information on what type of students are in the school between the age ranges of the respondents.
Qualitative Results
Qualitative results are a bit more difficult to measure since the topic is very subjective. A lot of variables can play a role in affecting the answers of the respondents. The interviewer might even influence some of the answers given by the people who were being interviewed.
Sense of Belonging
A sense of belonging is important amongst people. This is commonly shared amongst peers. A number of students felt that they had a sense of belonging in classrooms and in shared projects. This is usually when people end up in the same class, or that they share the same major and have the same ambitions in life. A number of people believe that they belong in a community because they go to school. There is some sort of brotherhood in that, like in fraternities and in sororities.
This type of sense of belonging is very dynamic and can be felt in different ways.1 Some students feel that they can identify in groups where they share the same sort of values or beliefs. This type of feeling is not always shared by everyone. However, it was seen as a very common theme in the interviews.
Shared Situation
A shared situation is a bit trickier since not everyone opens up about their lives. This could be like a group of young moms feeling that they are part of something because they all have toddlers about the same age. Or, it could be a group of people who come from the same state and have moved twenty hours away to end up in the same university. These types of connections can bring about a sense of community. This was seen present in a lot of the students who were interviewed. Whether they lived in the same area, drove the same cars or share the same story, there was always a way to feel connected. Those who share similar racial backgrounds are seen to connect with each other in a remarkable level. This is because their culture is the grounds where they can communicate on.2 Sharing the same culture might also mean that they have the same beliefs and values, also giving them some more to talk about.
Lack of Sense of Community
A lack of sense of community can also be very common amongst university students. This is the time when most people are finding their footing. A lot of students move away from home and start their own lives. Trying to be independent usually means steering away from neediness. Some people might see sharing ideas, thoughts or even feelings in a community or a group a sign of vulnerability.3 A number of university students want to have their independence and they would like to be able to handle things on their own. Even though there are group projects or group discussions, some individuals would rather keep to themselves and not be part of the community. In a group discussion, an individual called J shared his experience on why there was a lack of community to him:
“Maybe if I felt more as if it was a community I’d spend more time here because I generally do, do my study at home, I don’t come into uni[versity]”
There were common ideas shared by people who were interviewed. This was mostly, sharing the same love for a sport or joining the same types of clubs. Most everyone was very positive about their ideas on community.
Discussion
The quantitative did not show any remarkable results. There were no great correlations seen in the answers of the respondents. Most of the respondents that were studies were female, of the same age range. Of these students, only twenty nine were male. This variable did seem to affect the results. A great number of the respondents also brought their own cars to school, only a few took public transportation. This is an important part of the study because getting to school and going home can be a shared activity. Those who might car pool or share rides might also have a small group or community.
A lot of students who shared the same situation or background felt that they had a sense of belonging. Those who have created bonds or ties with friends that they have made in university feel that they are part of a community and feel a sense of belonging. Fraternities and sororities are common amongst university students.4 These shared groups and activities form great bonds that create a sense of belonging. Many people who live in the school and have the same dormitories have a great sense of belonging and are there for each other. Since those people have gotten their independence, they can turn to each other in case they need anything. Those who were part of movements shared the same beliefs. For example, those who felt that they had to do something in order to save the environment can join together and create a club or a group where they can talk about their beliefs and come up with campaigns in order to support these beliefs.
The qualitative results were much easier to evaluate as students are able to directly say why they felt certain ways. Most students felt a sense of community within class rooms or through shared activities. However, their feelings towards these small communities were not very remarkable. A great number of students found that there was a lack of community within the college. However, this might have been because they share different thoughts on the definition of community. Those who have a sport or participate in study groups were most likely to have a sense of belonging. Those who like to work by themselves did not feel a sense of community within the school.
Limitations
There are a few limitations to the study. The respondents that were gathered for the quantitative study were mostly female, and they shared the same age range. This would be great if it is a very specific study. Many people who are around the same age can connect with each other fairly easily. However, the study might have been deeper if more respondents who are male were included. Females are generally more open about emotional bonds or connections as compared to males. This might have played a bias in the study. Additionally, studying people from varying age ranges and seeing their different perceptions on community might play a greater role in the study. This is because a teenager’s sense of community might be a lot different to a sixty-year olds’ sense of community.
Practical Implications and Conclusions
The research focused on a sense of community and the feelings of belonging. This paper was limited in its findings because of the characteristics of the respondents. The respondents were mostly female for the first section of the study. Results can be different if the characteristics of the population changed in the slightest bit. However, there were significant findings in the results that can be further scrutinized. The sense of belonging and feelings or a community amongst students varied. There are a lot of different variables that might have played a part in their definitions of what a community is. Further research can go deeper in a study similar to this by trying to find correlations between the sense of community amongst students with different variables such as race, background, family situation, etc. There are a lot of different reasons why people feel like they belong, and a lot of different reasons why they feel that they do not. Many cultures view community in different perspectives; some are more open to the idea than others.5 There are also some cultures that are not very responsive to those who are “outside” their circle. Studies for those who felt that there was a lack of community can be done. This way, a contrasting study can be compared to the one that is pro-community. Finding out why students felt that they were not connected can help when it comes to establishing a level of connection. Certain barriers and boundaries can be broken that way. The results in the quantitative study can be further scrutinized by finding different variables and correlations. The correlations found in the study were not as remarkable as anticipated. A lot of the students had neutral responses and very second hand feelings about community and a sense of belonging. However, there are certain variables that might have played a part in influencing their answers. Different research methods can be used in order to find primary and second hand data on the sense of community within the university. Other universities can also be studies in order to find correlations between certain groups or certain age ranges, etc. The sense of community amongst students caries in the way that students define the term “community”.
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