Co-curriculum – A Pathway to Independent Learning
Rekha Prakash1*
1 School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Nilai University, Bandar Baru Nilai, 71800 Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
*Corresponding Author: [email protected] Accepted: 15 February 2023 | Published: 1 March 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.55057/ajress.2023.5.1.2
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Abstract: Co-curriculum or extra-curricular activities have become a part of the learning process. However, the implementation may differ in higher learning institutions. Learners participate in such activities and have conflicting views regarding the benefit of planning such activities. This study found that most students (above 89%) enjoy being involved in such activities. However, most of them participate in order to ‘make friends’ and do not perceive such involvement as ‘learning’. Students perceive learning as obtaining a high CGPA. For the learner, taking part in such activities is a way for them to reduce their stress. Despite this perception, students do realize that taking part in such activities do benefit them and does contribute to their holistic development of their ‘soft skills’.
Keywords: holistic development, co-curricular activities, leadership skills, modernization ___________________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
Learning in a tertiary environment may include a diverse group of individuals. These young learners are expected to approach learning with an open mind as it opens doors to expose them to incorporate academic and other activities in formal and informal settings. Creating such an environment allows a holistic development among learners. Involvement in informal activities exposes young learners to develop various skills such as collaboration, sportsmanship, independence, and responsibility. Such a new approach to learning develops mental, physical, and social growth among young learners. Institutions of higher learning such as Nilai University, offer a variety of experiences to develop soft skills.
With this in mind, Co-curriculum is included in the syllabus to develop the ‘graduate attributes’ which allow learners to include skills, qualities and understanding regardless of the programme chosen by learners (Nilai University Course Guide, 2021). In this study the author seeks to explore the relationship between co-curricular activities and the students’ perception of the effect this would have in their social skills. It is hoped that such activities will indicate the gaps in the coverage and the inconsistencies of the students’ perception with regard to the development of leadership skills.
Co-curricular activities focus on the development of soft skills, physical skills and critical thinking. At Nilai University the co-curricular activities are placed in three categories.
Category A covers Games and sports, including martial arts. Category B covers activities planned by clubs, societies and uniformed units. The third category is place under “community service’, which focuses on activities that contribute to improving the community. All students
must include co-curriculum along with the compulsory subjects within their programme.
Currently, 3 Credits are given on completion of three events which can be planned at any time within their course period according to the programme. The type of activity can be planned according to their preference, however it has to be a group-based activity and should include a minimum of three members. The number participating may differ according to the complexity of the activity.
Studies indicate that co-curriculum activities are an extension of classroom learning and may involve face-to-face or online events. These activities help to improve inter-action among students, and it inculcates values of leadership and independent learning (Husin et al., 2014).
Students have been noted to show improvements in the use of technological tools, in writing skills and in learning to work as a team (Lakshmi, 2021). Moseley et al. (2005) inform that learners improve their skills by applying the following tasks while executing the activity:
1) Questioning: Questioning enables the learner to prepare open-ended questions, which further develop their comprehension, interpretation and preparation of documents that are needed when planning the activities.
2) Problem based learning: At this stage, learners improve their language skills with regard to negotiation while they brainstorm to find solutions.
3) Logical arguments: Learners improve while exploring the norms and by presenting their findings.
4) Information transfer: Learners need to consider the discussions and prepare documents with clarity.
5) Acceptance of perspectives: Involvement in these activities expose learners to various cultures. They develop tolerance and humility, which teach them to be fair-minded and be more empathetic.
In addition to the above the sixth task that they acquire is connected to time-management. As this activity involves independent learning, learners note the importance of planning and developing timelines to complete the activity.
The results of a study based on six different academic disciplines, show that novice teachers who were involved in such activities from the humanities, sciences and technical programmes were higher than novice teachers of language areas in the level of knowledge in managing as well as their willingness to plan teaching and learning of co-curricular activities in schools (Husin et al, 2014). Co-curricular activities are complementary to the process of teaching and learning in the classroom and is part of the curriculum in the education system of Malaysia.
In keeping with the Education Development Master Plan, co-curricular activities are included and are important as they are a part of the human capital development process. Co-curricular activities are activities that are planned as an extension of the process of teaching and learning in the classroom to give students the opportunity to practise the knowledge, skills and values, which are taught in the classroom. Co-curricular activities can help in various aspects, such as fostering integration among the races and the community, helping to create a climate that drives learning and human culture, training and inculcating the values of leadership and motivating learners. To achieve this, the Ministry of Education has decided that the extra- curricular activities serve as important and necessary activities in the primary and secondary schools in Malaysia (Hussin et al., 2014).
The National Education Philosophy has explained that a balanced development of students in terms of intellectual, spiritual, and emotional, and physical should be inculcated from school.
Through the National Education Philosophy, a curriculum was designed to meet the needs of the mental, physical and social development of students in addition with formal learning that involves measurement and subject content. The extra-curricular activities also encourage students to join associations and clubs, sports and games and uniformed bodies. These activities in the education system promote the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development of students, which help them to become independent learners.
By involving in these activities students develop leadership skills by having discussions of a shared vision, collaborating and by developing confidence when planning a project (Tucci et al., 2019). It is interesting to note that in a study by Ahmad et al, male students planned more outdoor activities, while females chose indoor activities such as, debates and cultural events (2019).
2. Methodology
Location of study
Nilai University is a private university situated in Putra Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It offers a wide range of programmes, which include business, engineering, nursing, biotechnology, computing and aircraft maintenance.
This study is essentially quantitative. A total of 35 students from various programmes handed in their perceptions by completing a questionnaire which was given before the event (Proposal).
A total of 35 students from the same group were given a questionnaire after the completion of the co-curriculum event (Post Event). These included 9 students from the Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance, 3 from the Diploma in Business Administration, 6 from Diploma in Nursing, 4 from the Diploma in Accounting, 2 from the Bachelor in BIOT, 2 from Bachelor in Business Administration, 1 from BCSSE, 4 from Bachelor in Accounting and Finance, and 4 from Bachelor in Marketing. The ages ranged from 19 to 27. There were 31 Malaysians and 4 foreign students from Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh.
The participants were briefed about the study and a consent was obtained. The participants completed a questionnaire of the co-curricular activity and returned the questionnaire to the co-curricular office. The questionnaire included items on three sections: the type of activity, the motive for the choice of activity and the perception of improvement on skills after completion of the event. A pre and post comparison was made as the questionnaire was given at the planning stage (proposal) and on completion of the event (post event).
The researcher aims to note the views of the students in the following key areas:
1) The difference in the perceptions of the students’ motives before and after the activity.
2) The students’ perceptions of improvement of skills after the activity.
3. Findings: Questionnaire
The biggest group were from Category B (Clubs and Societies), which included 30 students and Category A (Games and Sports) 5, respectively. This could be because the survey was conducted from June 2021 (beginning of pandemic) to March 2022 (students returning for
face-to-face classes). Category C (Community Service) would require physical participation and as the students were not on campus, the activities were from Category A and Category B.
3.1. Differences in Perception Regarding the Motives During Planning and on Completion of Event.
Students choose activities based on their preferences (Kuan et al., 2019). In this study a strong correlation was indicated under items A: Enjoyment and item E: Relieve stress. Both percentages were high (more than 86%) regarding the perceptions before and after the activity.
Ahmed et al., (2019) informs that collaboration improves as students work with a similar goal and in a comfortable environment. They learn to respect each other and develop a group identity. This increases self-confidence and improves the confidence they have among group members.
For item B: Learning – there was a drop in the post event questionnaire (29% less). This could indicate that students do not connect the activity to learning. Their perception of learning is in a classroom environment with information given by an instructor. As these events are planned and executed in a friendly environment (using social media apps) the students overlook that the activity has developed their preparation of documents, such as the proposal, post event report, proposal budget, statement of accounts and minutes of meetings. They learn these skills independently and so do not consider it as ‘learning’.
Item C: Competition – It was interesting to note that one student chose neutral before and after the event, while the rest chose ‘strongly agree and agree’. This would indicate that only one student did not consider such activities as ‘competitive’. A feeling of competition motivates students. It is not surprising that item G; Make friends – included high scores (99%) for
‘strongly agree and agree’. As all activities are planned in a comfortable environment, students make new friends and improve their networking skills (Kuan et al., 2019). The study shows that these activities help to reduce anti-social behaviour, which may occur among students when facing stress at the institution due to academic expectations.
3.2 Improvement of Skills
The perception under improvement of skills focused on preparation of documents for the event, negotiation, communication and time-management skills.
For item A: Prepare a proposal – The students’ perception after the event was lower for
‘strongly agree’ by 14%. This could be because in spite of participating in the discussions, the preparation of the documents were usually completed by the main (Exco) members in the group. The completed documents were kept by the students who prepared them. The documents may not be shared by all the team members. By preparing these documents students improve language skills as they need to discuss and make decisions regarding the preparation of documents such as the proposal. Ajoke et al. (2015) say that students in Nigeria improved their proficiency in English when they participated in co-curricular events.
Item B: Prepare the Post event report – The perception was lower after the event compared to before the event. Those members who chose ‘strongly agree’ was 45% (below 50%). The students’ perceptions dropped further after the event (34%). From this it can be concluded that not all members were involved in the preparation of documents for the event. So, it can be assumed that only about one-third of the team learned about the requirements needed to prepare such documents. A report Zehner assessing the achievement of students who are active
in co-curricular activities showed that 36.8% of students involved in activities earned a higher CGPA (2011). So those students who prepared these documents would benefit.
Item C: Prepare proposal budget – The similarity in the percentage of team members who chose ‘Neutral’ before and after the event was the same (28%). This clearly support the assumption stated for Item A and B. Only some members were involved in the preparation of the Budget (before event 30%) and in item D: Prepare the Statement of accounts (after the event 15%). This indicates a 50% drop in the involvement after the event. From the data it can be concluded that only the main organisers were involved in the money transactions of the event. These would include the organising chairperson, the secretary and the treasurer of the event.
Item E: negotiation skills – A high percentage (82%) ‘strongly agree’ and ‘agree’ that they hoped to improve their negotiation skills. There was a slight drop in the data collected (71%) for the same section after the event. Although there was a drop; students clearly improved their negotiation skills because of their involvement during the planning and execution stages of the activity. This is further supported by the percentage who chose item F: Communication skills. As both skills – negotiation and communication – are related, most students’
expectations and development after the event indicated a high score (91% and 84%, respectively). In a study it was noted that students improved as they collaborated and developed leadership skills (Ahmed et al., 2019). Mancha and Ahmad (2016) inform that developing communication skills will benefit students as they realise the importance of listening. By listening they realise the importance of ‘honest communication’ and recognise that conflicts may occur. By being able to recognise and accept different viewpoints they are able to keep a harmonious relationship and make better decisions (Mancha & Ahmad, 2016).
For Item G: Time-management skills – Students expectations were high before the event (91%) as they hoped to improve their time-management skills. However, there was a slight drop (74%) in the perception after the event. This would indicate that some students find it difficult to meet deadlines. University life requires students to prepare assignments for their core subjects. Being involved in activities increases their burden and some students do not learn to prioritize or set deadlines for themselves. So, a few of them continue to be unable to improve their time-management skills. The development of good time management skills helps students to face challenges when they enter into the working environment. Yahya (2004) explains that employability skills include personal abilities such as time management that are appreciated by employers.
It is interesting to note that even though most students hope to improve their overall skills (94%); 52% chose ‘disagree and strongly disagree’ regarding improvement of overall skills.
This correlates with the item under ‘Learning’ (Motives). Most students perceive involvement in activities as a situation to develop and make friends. They do not realise that such activities develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills (soft skills). So, they do not perceive involvement in such activities as a part of “learning”. Rahman et al. (2021) state that most students and even their care takers do not believe that participation will benefit the learners.
They believe that such involvement can distract the learner and affect their academic achievements. However, in the study the authors were able to indicate that those students who took part in co-curricular activities obtained a higher CGPA.
4. Discussion and Implications
As students’ progress and enter the job market they need to have good communication, leadership, teamwork and critical thinking skills. These skills develop with their involvement in activities outside the classroom environment. Care takers and students may assume that participation in such activities may distract them and lower their academic achievement.
However, a study by Stevens (2011) correlates the relationship between motivation and activities. This involvement improves students’ academic performance. In this study the students improve their critical thinking skills. The high percentages under negotiation and communication suggest that students become more confident as they complete the activity.
However, only the main committee are involved in the preparation of documents, which are needed when planning events. As the rest of the committee are not involved in this, their perception regarding learning was low. This contradicts the findings improvements in leadership skills presented by Rahman et al. (2021) and Zehner (2011). As all planning and execution of activities are conducted in an open and comfortable environment, students do not consider such involvement as ‘learning’. Nevertheless, Darling et al. (2017) informs that non- athletic students develop confidence and perceive themselves a ‘good students’ because of their involvement in such activities. This confidence further helps them to complete their studies successfully.
5. Conclusion
Overall, students’ individual development is clearly seen in their negotiation and communicative skills. Participation in such activities prepare students when they seek employment. Successful collaborative skills, critical thinking and time management help improve their confidence. It teaches learners to be good listeners, to accept that conflicts occur and to accept differences. Co-curricular activities stimulate physical and mental health. It contributes to the cognitive growth of learners. From this study a clear gap was noted in the percentage of students who prepared documents especially regarding money matters. Only a few benefitted from the experience of preparing such documents (Statement of Accounts).
From the students’ perception it can be noted that only a few students in the committee took the responsibility to prepare the documents when planning events. Teamwork was seen during events. However, most students clearly became more confident in their communication skills.
Further research should study the documents prepared by the teams and the differences in the quality of the information included according to activities. Studies should be made regarding the contents included in the documents and the reasons for the differences in the information presented by learners.
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