THE STUDY OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ VOLUNTARY WORK BEHAVIORS: A MIXED-METHOD RESEARCH

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study undergraduate students’ voluntary work behaviors using the mixed-method research approach. The sample of quantitative research consisted of 730 undergraduate students from universities in Bangkok metropolitan area, obtained by simple random sampling; while that of qualitative research consisted of 10 college students obtained by convenience sampling based on their willingness to be interviewed. The ten students were classified into three males and seven females, with the age between 17 and 19 years and the average age of 18 years. The research findings showed that females outscored males in all aspects of voluntary work behavior. Both males and females had the highest scores on the aspect of not taking advantage of others, to be followed by those on the aspects of utilizing common properties efficiently and worthily, and undertaking activities beneficial to the society, respectively. On the other hand, they had the lowest scores on the aspect of environmental conservation. The voluntary activities for society included both the activities beneficial to the universities/colleges and the activities beneficial to the families. As for the effects of voluntary behaviors, there were both the positive and negative effects on the students. The positive effects were having received trust, praises and respect from the others; having internal happiness from seeing the others gaining happiness; having learned new experiences; and having gained new skills and problem solving methods. Meanwhile, the negative effects were tiredness, the sacrifice of time, the sacrifice of money, the hard work, the use of one’s personal money in doing work, the conflicts with friends, the exertion of both physical and mental efforts in working, the feeling that nobody appreciates what they had done, and receiving nothing in return. Apparently, the sense of voluntary work behaviors should be cultivated among undergraduate student, not only through organizing activities and projects, but also through immersion in their daily life.