Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
By
John Paulo S. Ruedas
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INTRODUCTION
Leisure time for students in the tertiary level is considered one of the factors in
developing their commitment and diligence to their studies despite the unexpected deadlines for
rejuvenating themselves from their studies and researches. In fact, some of the proponents would
attest that leisure time provides one to achieve contentment of gaining strength and confidence to
perform his or her tasks and responsibilities. That “[l]eisure activities may facilitate adolescents'
developmental needs for social relatedness” is relevant to the students” (Đuranović & Opić,
2016, p. 14) may contribute to the welfare of the common good; for this reason, it is true that one
who lacks social life may affect more their duties. Moreover, leisure time activities become an
exercise for their preparation in the real-life which students would encounter (Đuranović & Opić,
2016, p. 547). Through the leisure time of the students, they may probably increase their pursuit
for academic excellence and self-efficacy (Kennett, Reed & VanderBerg, 2019, p. 137).
Nevertheless, some proponents concerning the use of leisure time argue in terms of time
management and the number of hours spent. It shows that leisure time may affect the student’s
behavior and disposition in studying and paying attention to the discussions in school. The social
media, for instance, may be considered as somewhat consumable in terms of time management
and hours spent in leisure time. For instance, opening and browsing through Facebook accounts
might benefit or disrupt a student’s disposition in studies and research. Sereetrakul (2013)
believes that “[s]tudents take advantage of Facebook as a tool in their studies as this platform
makes it possible for them to exchange ideas and opinions or to interact with the other users at
multiple levels” (p. 40) such as professionals, leaders, prominent persons and even their fellow
students who are in line with their point of discussion. However, the former observes the
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dilemma of the use of Facebook as “it may hinder their learning process as well”. Moreover,
according to a study, internet has the highest number of hours spent by each student in his or her
free time, and less focus is spent in cultural activities such as singing, dancing and other art
forms (Đuranović & Opić, 2016, p. 548 & 550). Most of all, in the period where technology
rapidly emerges and arises, students in each level are likely acquainted with the use of
smartphones, and reality informs the present society that the production and usage of such is
inevitable. In a recent study conducted by Ataş and Çelik (2019), most of the students
participated in the survey “connect to the Internet about 4 hours via their smartphones a day, and
check their smartphones 28 times a day on average” (p. 59). The use of technology such as
smartphones and the internet is available everywhere and may affect the student’s disposition of
his or her time management of leisure time as a manner of relaxation from several academic
activities.
The situation of leisure time in college students is more different than any other students
in elementary and secondary school. College students have their own stress management as well
as organization of their routine and activities. Indeed, their break times might be insufficient for
them to revitalize their studies. Their parents are even concerned with the disposition with their
children focusing on their lessons and assessments. Again, in a certain study, five out of ten
parents thought that their leisure time is insufficient (Gökçe, 2012, p, 2558). On the other hand,
leisure time of students may prolong due to the inevitable use of smartphones, televisions and
other gadgets which involve screens for viewing. Considering the importance of the family, a
study shows that one should reconsider the time they themselves spend in front of the screen and
shorten this time to spend more time with their children [and their parents as well]” (Kara, 2018,
p. 100). These conclusions and recommendations call the attention of the society, especially in
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the school and universities, to recognize time management of the students in spending leisure
In light with all the existing documents and studies about the topic concerned, this study
attests to the situation of several tertiary students with its relation to their leisure time spent in
school and at home and assesses their hours and activities they perform during free time.
Recent studies show that the balance of student’s academic life and leisure time are
proportionate to one another as in the case of the number hours spent in each of the activities.
Kennett, Reed, and VanderBerg (2019) observes that an average number of “27 hours of
academic and 81 hours of nonacademic related activities weekly” is spent by the students in
these periods (p. 142). Furthermore, those who are involved in academic formation gain
excellence in the class especially that they can obtain higher grades in the school, whereas those
who immersed themselves spending their time mostly on their leisure time may affect their
disposition in their academic activities and may result to the risk of lower grades (p. 148). In
support with the study, an issue occurred on the relation between hours for academic activities
and leisure time because of its “low resourceful counterparts having low balance perceptions” (p.
149), and it shows that the lack of resourcefulness of the student needs his or her development in
Another claim to support the problem of use of leisure time is found at the activities
performed. Nowadays, browsing the internet and using smartphones are inevitable once the
students are acquainted and familiarize themselves. In a study conducted in Turkey, of the 842
respondents, 39% mostly uses their smartphones at night and almost 36% of them use their
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smartphones in daytime (Ataş & Çelik, 2019, p. 64). It follows that more time is spent on the use
of modern cell phones. Furthermore, the use of social media as a medium for communication to
other people is a form of leisure time even of the students. In fact, as Sereetrakul (2013)
together in groups or to raise any academic issues to be discussed among friends” (p. 43). Ataş &
Çelik (2019) support this idea of the use of smartphones in the field of education and research.
They discovered that “47.7% of the participants … use their smartphones to review lecture
notes” (p. 64). It manifests the concept of the accessibility of such phones not only for text and
calls but also for internet browsing and viewing through social media platforms. Thus, if the use
of leisure time is spent on browsing on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and
other platforms, then such is the case for several students who are academically inclined and
excel in class activities and assessments without disregarding the use of the internet for
communication about studies and researches. Nevertheless, the need of balance between
academic life and leisure time must be emphasized in order to utilize the assigned tasks and
responsibilities the student must encounter with the aim of achieving a productive activity. In
fact, “the perceived balance item does not assess whether the ability to balance academic and
The results of most of the studies concerning leisure time was subordinated in general to
the elementary and secondary students who are more advanced in the use of technology.
Furthermore, the level of stress and necessity of the students in lower levels are distinct from the
situation of those in the tertiary level who are confronted with several requirements and other
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assessments and examinations. With this matter, unlike other students, tertiary students focus
less on their leisure time than their academic activities in school and group studies and research.
In line with the related literature abovementioned, it is of great importance to further understand
the situation of the students in the tertiary level in terms of leisure time management over
academic affairs.
Theoretical Framework
The usual leisure time spent by the students can be traced back from its philosophical and
sociological perspectives. Indeed, with the function of man as a rational being and, also, a social
being, the concept and lived experience of leisure continues to be evolved depending on the
The philosophical perspective of leisure may be understood in the critique of the work
ethic by Bertrand Russell. In his celebrated work “In Praise of Idleness”, Russell emphasizes the
fact that, rather than enforcing the custom of “slave morality” wherein, according to Max Weber
concerning the “Protestant work ethic”, the leisure is only achieved by the leisure class such as
clerics and authoritarians in the medieval period, (McLean as cited by Tapps & Wells, 2019, p.
56), a “work-sharing arrangement” wherein hours of labor must be diminished and periods of
relaxation and comfort must be promoted (p. 56). It follows that leisure is not only a privilege of
the upper class who would only contribute to the fruit of labor of the working class, but also for
those who deserve for relaxation and comfort after several hours of work in a certain area. It
provides even a short period of time for the workers to rejuvenate themselves and to proceed
present period. He mentioned that leisure is “a reaction to modern work, fueled by increasing
individual freedom in industrial society and the growth of social institutions” (Leisure, Theory
of, 2019, § 17). Influenced by the concept of functionalism and structuralism, Parker notices that,
regardless of man’s orientation, leisure influences individuals which are provided with
“relaxation, entertainment and personal development”, and the society where there is the
maintenance of “the social system and achieving collective ends”. With this regard, although
there is a concept “solitary leisure” - the meaning of which is to find convenience alone, - one’s
recreational activities are still influenced by the society regardless of how they directly contact
with it (Martinez & Yoder as cited by Tapps and Wells, p. 67). In the society, leisure time of the
individual is greatly influenced not by family orientation but by different external forces which
METHODOLOGY
Participants
The researcher selected a section of 40 fourth year students taking Bachelor of Science in
Hotel and Restaurant Management (BSHRM) under the College of Accountancy, Business,
Materials
concerning the hours spent in their leisure time and their activities performed during their leisure
time, first, at home, and then, in school. This survey is to measure the length of consumption of
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hours spent by a tertiary student in their free time at home an in school and to observe a
significant difference between the two situations in performing their activities during their free
time.
Design
As aligned with the related literature, the set of questionnaires are structured on the usual
number of hours spent by a tertiary student at home and in school ranging from one to three
hours in both situations. Furthermore, different leisure activities were enlisted in order to identify
clearly the frequently performed acts in spending their free time at home and in school. Most of
the questions are derived from a certain questionnaire (18 Leisure Time Activities Survey
Procedure
The researcher distributed the survey questionnaire to the 40 fourth year BSHRM
students before the class discussion has begun. The participants answered the questions as honest
as they can check the activities they performed, and the hours spent in their leisure time at home
and at school. The data were collected by tallying the number of items chosen by the
participants.
RESULTS
This section presents the results gathered from the survey conducted to 40 fourth year
BSHRM students from the Batangas State University – ARASOF Nasugbu Campus who are
currently enrolled under the College of Accountancy, Business, Economics and International
Hospitality Management (CABEIHM). The said survey includes the number of hours they spent
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and the common engagements or activities of each student during their free time at home and in
school.
Research Problem No. 1 The Length of Free Time Hours at Home and in School
The length of time a student spent in his/her free time were examined and assessed. Such
examination is divided into two sections: at home and in school. Upon collecting and gathering
the data, the difference between hours at home and in school were evident:
• Data shows that the number of hours spent during their free time in school were only given
a short and ample time since they focus on their classes and other curricular activities.
• On the other hand, the number of hours spent during their free time at home are only spent
more than an hour since they still must give time for other errands.
Figure 1
6 Hours
3 Hours
2 Hours
1.5 Hours
1 Hour
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Number of Respondents
Figure 1 manifests that most of the respondents would spend their free time in school for
one hour. 38% of the respondents spent their free time for three hours. The rest have their longer
hours for free time since some of the respondents are irregular students of the institution. This is
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supported by the idea that most of the teachers thought that daily lesson hours are sufficient but
the hours for free time aside from semestral holidays were not enough to cater the students in
Figure 2
16 Hours
8 Hours
6 Hours
5 Hours
3 Hours
2 Hours
1 Hour
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Number of Respondents
Figure 2 indicates that students are provided with longer hours of free time at home. Most
of the respondents (63%) spent three hours of free time at home while some would take more than
the former in spending such. It may have a better connection to Figure 4 of this result that the
greatest factor of spending longer free time at home is the use of the internet and other social media
sites since, according to Opić and Đuranović (2014, p. 546), these would endanger the children
Figure 3
Recreational/Hobby
Listening to Music
Reading Books
Family Bonding Time
Doing Household Chores
Browsing the Internet/Social Media / Chat
Watching TV/Television
Studying/Complying with the Academic Requirements
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Number of Respondents
In Figure 3, the use of the internet and other social media platforms and the use of television
became dominant in the recent survey with 60% among the respondents. A small number of
respondents are given especially with the time for family. In relation to the Figure 1, the lengthy
hours of their free time were spent mostly on the use of technology and media. This survey is
supported by the study taken by Opić and Đuranović (2014, p. 546) which recognizes browsing
the Internet as the dominant routine of spending free time at home especially the adolescents.
Furthermore, since there is a low value of percentage of dedicating time to the family in this survey,
it must be suggested according to Kara (2018, p. 1) that there must be a screen free week in all
forms of technology to allot more time talking and bonding with their family.
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Figure 4
0 5 10 15 20 25
Number of Respondents
Figure 4 shows that studying or complying with the academic requirements is of great
importance to the students in spending their free time in school with 53% of the respondents. It
manifests the value and priority of studying rather than any other activities which could be done
in the institution. This is in congruence to the research conducted by Kennett, Reed and
VanderBerg (2019, p. 1) which proves that “the average number of hours spent engaged in
academic activities per week was greater for students scoring high in academic resourcefulness
DISCUSSION
In the survey recently conducted, study shows that the length of hours which the tertiary
students spent in school is allotted only for an hour. As shown in the Figure 1, since it is
understood that students staying in such institution are equipped with several assignments,
activities and researches, they have the tendency not to prolong their leisure time. On the other
hand, some respondents who spent two or more hours of their vacant periods in school are
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different from the situation of those spending an hour of leisure time. The difference is that these
are the irregular students of the institution who are loaded with few units compared to the regular
students with the normal number of units. For this reason, irregular students enjoy more leisure
time for themselves rather than those with regular units whose leisure time is spent only for an
hour. Thus, an ample period for leisure time of the students in school is sufficient in order to
encounter the needs of the students especially in their studies and research. As Gökçe (2012)
recognizes the situation of the students in focusing more on studies at school, “additional time
should not be the extra of the time currently in effect but should be an opportunity to learn more
might be an effective method to promote learning” (p, 2559). However, not all of these schedules
must cater their needs, but, rather, the schedule of classes as well as their vacant period must be
directed to the continuous learning of the students, since “teachers might arrange activities
suitable for the level of each student, use learning activities to achieve high achievement and
provide objective feedback” (Wyne & Stuck as cited by Gökçe, 2019, p. 2559).
On the other hand, the majority of the students, regardless of their status, spent their
leisure time at home for three hours, since staying at home may not require them to follow a
certain schedule, and they must manage their own time by their free choice. However,
considering the number of hours spent by most of the students, three hours of leisure time may
already affect the student’s disposition to attend to other errands such as studying, conversation
with the family and other activities. That three hours is spent by a student during leisure time
may disregard other activities at home. Thus, a significant relationship is observed between the
number of hours spent at home by a student and the activity mostly performed by them as shown
in Figure 3. Most of the students spent their leisure time browsing the internet and social media
platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others. Chatting through messaging apps
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such as Facebook Messenger is included among these platforms. If three hours is spent by the
student performing such activity, then, most of them who spent such time for browsing the
internet and social media are affected in terms of other activities such as family bonding,
studying and doing leisure activities such as reading books, listening to music. In relation to the
use of the internet and social media, family bonding is affected and obtained 10% of the
respondents. It shows that the use of internet has greatly affected family relationships and it
might come to the point that no direct communication and contact would be established in a
family since a person would focus only with their smartphones, laptops and other gadgets. This
study is precise or closely related to the study in Thailand wherein more than an hour is spent on
Facebook (Sereetrakul, 2019, p. 45) and the effect on family relationship is evident on the
control of the adolescents in the use of technology, internet and social media (Moawad &
Finally, in contrast to the previous survey, most of the students, despite a given leisure
time, tend to use it for studying and complying with the requirements. Unlike at home, students
staying in school have a structured schedule for the submission of requirements and an
environment for learning and research. The use of internet and social media is minimized as
shown in Figure 4 with 0.08% of the 40 respondents. It shows that the use of leisure time is
maximized by the students in studying the previous and advanced lessons and complying with
the requirements given by their respective professors. This study is similar to the measurement of
wherein they achieve “academic self-efficacy, university adjustment, and degree completion and
a unique predictor of academic resourcefulness and cumulative grades” (Kennett, Reed &
CONCLUSION
As the level of education arises in the situation of every student, the level of academic
responsibilities and intellectual awareness also arises. With this regard, upon the reviewed
literature and results presented, the challenge is imposed on the tertiary students of Batangas
State University ARASOF-Nasugbu who perceived leisure time as an ample period for their
relaxation, and, afterwards, spend the rest of the hours in academic, and even non-academic
activities. The use of social media at home may consume most of the hours with the possibility
of unattended important activities especially family bonding. It might diminish their direct
contact with the members of the family as well as connectedness to oneself. Nevertheless, since
the students possess the sense of diligence for studies without disregarding the allotted leisure
time for other activities, the need to organize the hours of study and discussions in the class must
these results emerged in this research, the researcher would like to recommend the following
activities:
• The students must develop an awareness of time management at home and in school in
• The students should minimize the use of social media at home if not necessary in order to
develop other activities for leisure such as family bonding and conversation, recreational
• The students must promote a screen free week as introduced by Kara (2018) wherein
parents must supervise them in the control and use of screen technology such as
• The students must maintain the academic atmosphere in the school by managing the
hours for leisure time and develop a sense of diligence for academic activities in their
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