OPINIONS AND PARTICIPATIONS OF THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Abstract

This quantitative study aimed to assess students' opinions and participation levels in recreational activities and to compare individual factors affecting their participation at Thammasat University. The sample consisted of 285 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Social Administration, Thammasat University (Rangsit Campus), selected using purposive sampling. The sample size was determined based on Krejcie and Morgan’s formula, with an allowable error probability of .05.

The data were collected via questionnaire consisting of 11 types of recreational activities: games and sports, dance, arts and crafts, music and singing, reading, writing and speaking, drama, hobbies, outdoor activities, social activities, special activities, and voluntary services. The questionnaire was presented to the advisor for content validation. As the questionnaire covered the content according to the research objectives, it was then used for data collection.

The statistics used for data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and F-test, using a statistical software package. When a significant difference was found, pairwise comparisons were conducted using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) method. The findings showed that:

1) Student generally agreed with the opinion that recreational activities are beneficial, enjoyable, and help them relax.

2) Student participated in recreational activities only occasionally (2-3 times/week).

3) Participation did not significantly differ across individual factors consisting of sex, age, or average daily free time.