Silliman UniversityCollege of Business Administration

Management DepartmentManagement 35 Business Research

A Comparative Study on the Preferences of Students of Silliman University on the Place to Studybetween the School Library

and the Coffee Shops in Dumaguete City

Submitted by:

Buhisan, CarlBontog, AlfeosJeeCaluscusin, NorielDoria, Don Jovie

Emia, JessaTenaja, GailOrillan, Lanz

Ventoliro, JessaVillanueva, Alexa Vania

Submitted to:

Prof. Mirabelle J. Engcoy

Date Submitted:

May 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page

Acknowledgement

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Problem and Its Scope

Introduction/ Rationale

Theoretical Background/ Review of Related Literature

The Problem

Statement of the Problem

Objectives

Significance of the Study

Scope of the Study

Definition of Terms

Research Methodology/Research Design

Research Environment

Respondents of the Study

Sampling Technique

Research Instrument

Data Collection Procedure

Chapter 2: Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data

Chapter 3: Conclusion and Recommendation

Conclusion

Recommendation

Bibliography

Appendices

Sample Questionnaire for Student Respondents

CHAPTER 1: THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction/Rationale

Many students are surprised at the differences in studying for college

courses versus how they studied in high school. Regular assignments are

replaced by vast midterms and exams which require knowledge about

concepts rather than simple memorization of facts. Students frequently

discover they need to adapt their study habits to the college setting.

Like any other, college students study. They study because they have

to learn and learning is why they are in college. College is your tool when

you go out to the real world and work. It teaches you all the stuff necessary

for the challenges that await you when you graduate. You’ll be surprised at

how helpful it is when you need it and you won’t even notice it till when

you’re done applying it to whatever obstacle you’re facing. That is why your

parents do whatever they can in order to put you in college because they

know how important and advantageous it is for your future.

Again, college is all about studying and taking it seriously. One has to

find a way to get the most out of the time for studying. But how should

someone do that? In college, you come across and get to know a wide

variety of people. People will come from different places and from different

cultures with different attitudes. People who live locally where the college is

located will have homes to study in while those from afar will go into either

dorms or boarding houses. Generally, neither of the two is going to help you

get the most of your parents’ money in terms of studying. At home, there are

a ton of distractions that are readily available once you start to sit down and

open that textbook. Who could resist the TV? Or the ever fluffy leisure your

bed has to offer you? Same goes to dorms and boarding houses. They are

mostly noisy because they aren’t really intended to be study places. You

can’t just tell your dorm mates to shut up or stop whatever fun they’re doing.

So where should you study? Though there are a lot of other places a student

can study, after all it’s based on preference, but usually students prefer to

study in a place where you get the best results from --a place where you are

comfortable, safe, quiet, etc. With this in mind, the researchers have come

up with a comparative study on two of the most considered places in

studying which are libraries and coffee shops.

Theoretical Background/Review of Related Literature

Creating a good study environment allows us to maximize our learning

efficiency. Combined with effective time management, high motivation, good

reading and note taking skills, and systematic test preparation, a good study

environment serves as a catalyst for productive effort. (The Univeristy of

Alabama, 2005)This is the first step towards effective studying.

A good study environment is a highly individualized matter. What’s

right for you may not be right for a friend or roommate. As much as possible,

you should designate a special place to study. This place should be

uncluttered and should provide few distractions to allow for maximum

concentration. Needless to say, some study tasks, must be done elsewhere,

but having a regular "home base" that you associate with studying helps to

reinforce your self-discipline. It also provides a place where essential

materials can be stored. (National Library of New Zealand)

Library

Most university has a school library. The school library is an important

part of the school community (National Library of New Zealand) where

variety of resources including books, encyclopedias, magazines, newspapers

and etc. are available for studying purposes. It is the traditional place for

studying even before the coming out of coffee shops or coffeehouses,

because it was the only place accessible and convenient, outside from home,

for studying. Also it is located in the school so students can just easily go

there and study.

Coffee Shops

Most of us, if not all, have visited a coffee shop. According to Merriam-

Webster Dictionary, coffee shops or coffeehouses is an establishment that

sells coffee or other refreshments and that commonly serves as an informal

club for its customer to socially interact. It is also a cool place to have some

refreshment while drinking your favorite blend of coffee.

In addition, it is obviously a fast-growing business as what we can

observe, there are a lot of establishments putted up especially here in

Dumaguete and probably worldwide,because of the convenience, ambiance,

satisfaction and refreshment it provides and of course the coffee it offers.

Coffee which contains caffeine awakens and regenerates the drinker. It

is consumed at any time of the day during meetings and socializations.

There are different unique blends of coffee that gives the drinker the

satisfaction they need.

The Problem

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1. How long do students study?

2. Does the time of the day students preferred to study affects their

choice on where they prefer to study?

3. Among the given factors, what are the top five considerations of the

students in choosing the place to study?

4. What factors do students consider in choosing the place to study?

5. Where does the factors that students consider in choosing the place to

study satisfied?

6. Which of the following do the students prefer to study in: library or

coffee shops?

OBJECTIVES

1. To identify the preferences of students in a place to study between

library and coffee shops.

2. To determine the factors affect the students’ preferences in a place to

study.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this research could be beneficial to owners or managers

of the coffee shops in Dumaguete City because it can aid in the management

of their respective businesses. The result could as well benefit the

management of the school library and the school administration since the

study will provide them information about what are the aspects should they

need to improve in the premises.

This section of the study aims to guide concerned parties of this

research, such as:

1. Owners and managers of coffee shops – The information from this

research will help in determining what featuresshould the enhanced

and/or added to the facilities in order to entice students to visit the

establishment more often.

2. Respondents/ Students of Silliman University – With this study, the

respondents, specifically the students of Silliman University, will be able

to share their views on their preferred place to study and the factors that

would influence them in choosing the setting.

Scope of the Study

The study conducted served the purpose of knowing which place

students’ preferred to study between library and coffee shops. In order to

meet the objectives of this research, the group used data-gathering

instruments covering the whole population of Silliman University college

students enrolled during summer class of school year 2014-2015.

Below are the factors that were considered during the conduct of the

research:

Convenience

Accessibility

Security

Comfort

Spaciousness

Population density

Cleanliness

Music

Chatter

Silence

Food

Free wifi

Charging station

Accessibility of other study materials

Definition of Terms

Students - students of Silliman University enrolled in summer classes for

school year 2014-2015.

Coffee shop – is a small, informal restaurant serving people usually with

coffee, tea, cakes, and other light refreshments. It is also a place where

people (mostly students) can go to study, do their homework or group work,

or socialize with other people.

Library – is a building containing collections of books, periodicals,

publications, and other materials (such as videos and musicals) that can be

read or borrowed by students for study or reference; Silliman University main

library.

Study environment – is the location preferred by a student based on its

comfortableness, quietness, atmosphere, and other factors than can possibly

affect the student’s working condition.

Study habits – are behaviors or practices that are used or observed by a

student in preparation for tests or in learning an academic material.

Research Methodology/Research Design

RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

RESPONDENTS OF THE STUDY

The respondents of the study are the students of Silliman University

that are taking up the summer classes for the term SY 2014-2015. Of the

2,388 overall population for the summer semester, the researchers opted to

give questionnaires to 210 of the student body as respondents of the study.

The respondents were selected randomly to acquire data. The researchers

chose to survey students from Silliman University because the university has

a free, world-renowned library in the campus and there are a lot of coffee

shops which are in close proximity to the campus, both of which are fully

utilize by said students during Prelims, Midterms and Finals.

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

The researchers determined the total number of sampling size by using

the Sloven’s Formula as shown below:

Nn = __________________

1 + Ne2

where:

n = sample size

N = total population

e = margin of error

The researchers used 7% as the percentage for margin of error. The

total population is 2833 which indicates the total number of students

enrolled for summer class in SY 2014 – 2015.

Using the Sloven’s Formula, it was determined that the sample size is

190. Shown below is the calculation of the sample size:

2833n = __________________

1 + [ (2833)(0.07)2 ]

2833n = __________________

1 + [ (2833)(0.0049]

2833n = __________________

1 + 13.8817

2833

n = __________________

14.8817

n = 190.36804 = 190 students

In this study, the researchers utilized purposive and convenience

sampling, which are both a non-probability sampling technique, wherein the

respondents are those who are conveniently available to participate in the

study and were also chosen based on the judgment of the researchers.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

The researchers used survey questionnaires in collecting the necessary

data which would be useful for the study. The survey questionnaires were

distributed to 210 students of Silliman University who are currently enrolled

in the summer class of SY 2014-2015.

In the first part of the survey questionnaire was the transmittal letter in

order to inform the respondents about the research study. It also asked for

student’s profile which includes the course and year, gender and the name

of respondent, which is optional. It was then followed by sets of questions

which would help the researchers in the course of their study.

The first three questions asked how often the respondents study in a

week, how long the respondents study in a day and during what time of the

day does the respondents prefers to study. The next one provides a list of

factors or considerations in choosing the place to study and asked the

respondents to choose only five and rank them from 1, which is the highest,

to 5, which is the lowest. Next, the respondents were asked to check the box

of the place they prefer to study whether in the library, coffee shop, both or

none in terms of the factors or considerations in choosing the place to study.

The sixth question asked the respondents where they usually prefer to study

whether in the library, coffee shop or other places. The last one asked the

respondents for any recommendations/suggestions/opinions to further

improve the study.

DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE

This research focuses mainly on the Sillimanians’ study place

preference between libraries and coffee shops, so the researchers based the

sample size on the total population of 2,833 Silliman students taking up

summer classes in the school year 2014-2015. Next, the researchers used

the Sloven’s formula in determining the number of students they need for

the survey. Then, they useda sampling or margin of error between five

percent (5%) and seven percent (7%) because these variances are believed

to achieve better outcome. The computation resulted to a number of 190

respondents but the researchers have decided to distribute 210

questionnaires instead. The researchers then used the survey method

through questionnaires and were fairly divided among the members. After

which, the forms were given randomly to Silliman students. As soon as the

answered questionnaires, which only 203 forms were recollected, the

researchers classified the results sensibly and methodically for tabulation.

DATA ANALYSIS (STATISTICAL TREATMENT)

After tabulating the results of the survey, the group started to convert

these results into percentages to their respective variables. By doing such,

researchers were able to have an inclusive data analysis. Since this research

focuses on the student’s preference to study in a library or coffee shop,

conclusions will be derived from the results of the survey particularly from

the summation of answers from the 5th question in the questionnaire.

A graphical representation of the results of each question in the

survey, along with its description and the researchers’ interpretation is also

shown in this paper.

CHAPTER 2: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF

DATA

In the course of the study, the researchers have carefully analyzed the

gathered data obtained using the survey method.Survey questionnaires were

distributed to the sample size of 205 students in Silliman University who are

taking summer classes, and the data gathered are presented in pie graphs

and in tables. Each graph and each table with results of the survey has been

studied and discussed by the researcher.

The researches observed that nowadays a lot of students go to coffee

shops in order to study or to work on their assignments and projects. Coffee

shops surround the Silliman University campus and it would be interesting to

find out whether students prefer to study in these establishments or in the

school library.

The following statements in this chapter will present the data

gathered. In addition, analysis and interpretation of such are given to further

justify the gathered information from the researchers' survey questionnaire.

1-2 days34%

3-4 days49%

5-6 days9%

more than 6 days2%

never5%

How many days do you study in a week?

Graph 1. The Number of Days Silliman University students study in a week.

less than an hour12%

1-2 hours47%

3-4 hours29%

5-6 hours8%

more than 6 hours4%

How many hours do you study in a day?

Graph 2. The number of hours students study in a day.

Graph 1 show that most students of Silliman University study in a

week. Of the 203 students composing the sample population, 95% said that

they study. However, the number of days that students study varies from

each individual. The two largest portions of the student population say they

study in 3-4 days (49%) and in 1-2 days (34%). And only a small portion of

the population (5%) says that they don’t study.

The number of hours students study varies depending on the

individual. As shown in Graph 2, most of the students spend1-2 hours of

studying in a day (47%).The time spend for studying for the 29% and the

12% of the population are 3-4 hours and 5 or more hours (of which is

composed of 8% for 5-6 hours and 4% for more than 6 hours) respectively.

Only a small portion of the population (4%), spend less than an hour in

studying. This means that most students would study and prepare for their

subjects for at least an hour.

The period of time spent in studying may differ but there is a common

denominator that all of the student have — focus. Concentration is one of the

essential elements in studying. This is the most important thing that a

student should have upon studying for their subjects. However, the level of

focus a person has would be different on each unique location he/she choose

to study at.

From the list of factors below, what are your top considerations when choosing the place to study? Choose five and rank them from 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest).

FactorsRank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5

TtlO/a

RankNo. Qlty. Val. No. Qlty. Val. No. Qlty. Val. No. Qlty. Val. No. Qlty. Val.

Convenience 39

25

975 27

20

540 32

15

480 20

10

200 14

5

70 2265 3rd

Accessibility 17 425 18 360 19 285 12 120 4 20 1210 6th

Security 7 175 12 240 15 225 13 130 18 90 860 8thComfort 50 1250 30 600 31 465 22 220 15 75 2610 1st

Spaciousness 6 150 10 200 10 150 16 160 14 70 730 9thPopulation

Density9 225 7 140 10 150 8 80 13 65 660 11th

Cleanliness 13 325 20 400 16 240 31 310 19 95 1370 5thMusic 11 275 6 120 6 90 4 40 9 45 570 12th

Chatter 4 100 2 40 7 105 2 20 4 20 285 14thSilence 51 1275 26 520 21 315 10 100 16 80 2290 2ndFood 7 175 14 280 14 210 16 160 23 115 940 7th

Free Wifi 23 575 19 380 17 255 19 190 26 130 1530 4thCharging Station

7 175 2 40 7 105 7 70 7 35 425 13th

Accessibility of Other Study

Materials

7 175 6 120 7 105 18 180 17 85 665 10th

Table 1. Factors that could affect students’ preference on the place to study.

Note: See Data Analysis in Chapter 1 for the computation technique.

Each individual considers different features in choosing their preferred

place to study. It would beneficial for the study to determine what factors

would affect most of the students’ preference. The researchers recognized

fourteen (14) factors—Convenience, Accessibility, Security, Comfort,

Spaciousness, Population Density, Cleanliness, Music, Chatter, Silence, Food,

Free Wifi, Charging Station, and Accessibility to Other Study Materials-- that

could have an impact to the students in their studying that would influence

their preference.

From the results shown in Table 1, the top 1 factor that students

consider in choosing a place to study in is comfort which have the biggest

value (2610 points) among the given factors. Proper air ventilation, lighting

and availability of comfortable furniture are important for the student to be

able to concentrate in studying. The study atmosphere of the area must be

conducive for studying in order students to have focus on what they are

doing.

The second factor that students consider is silence (2290 points).

Silence plays a great role in getting focused. In a test conducted by

psychologists in Florida on how fast a group of students wrote essays with

and without music in the background, it gave a result that it is difficult to

cope well with listening and writing simultaneously.

(www.dailymail.co.uk)Therefore, proving that sound can distract people in

studying.

The next factor in the rank (3rd) is convenience, having 2265 points.

The time allowed for students to stay in the area is also essential for

students to prepare for their classes. Having a longer period of time to stay

in the place means more time for them to study. Moreover, it would also

mean that they don’t have to hurry in studying just because they have to

leave the premises at a specific time.

Even with the research that says that music can only distract

individuals in the process of learning, there are still people who are more

comfortable to study with the presence of music in the background.

However, the results depicted in Table 1 shows that only a few of the

population would commend to listening to music while studying since it is

one of the least (ranked 12th out of 14) considered factors in choosing where

to study.

In terms of the following factors, check the box of the place you prefer.

  Library

Percentag

e

Coffee

Shops

Percentag

e Both

Percentag

e

Non

e

Percentag

e

Tota

l

Comfort 73 0.36 55 0.27 56 0.28 19 0.09 203

Silence 151 0.74 18 0.09 15 0.07 19 0.09 203

Convenience 96 0.47 43 0.21 38 0.19 26 0.13 203

Free Wifi 61 0.30 56 0.28 66 0.33 20 0.10 203

Cleanliness 97 0.48 26 0.13 58 0.29 22 0.11 203

Accessibility 123 0.61 25 0.12 32 0.16 23 0.11 203

Food 10 0.05 162 0.80 15 0.07 16 0.08 203

Security 119 0.59 21 0.10 39 0.19 24 0.12 203

Spaciousness 131 0.65 20 0.10 35 0.17 17 0.08 203

Accessibility of Other

Study Materials142 0.70 21 0.10 25 0.12 15 0.07 203

Population Density 118 0.58 34 0.17 21 0.10 30 0.15 203

Music 22 0.11 115 0.57 18 0.09 48 0.24 203

Charging Station 95 0.47 31 0.15 49 0.24 28 0.14 203

Chatter 24 0.12 114 0.56 30 0.15 35 0.17 203

Total 1262 0.44 741 0.26 497 0.17 342 0.12

Table 2. The place students prefer in terms of the given factors. (Arranged according to rank based on Table 1.)

Table 2 shows which between library and coffee shops do students

prefer to study in relation to the given factors. The result shows that only

Music, Food and Chatter have a greater preference in the coffee shop while

the other remaining factors were preferred in the library. Obviously, these

three factors are permitted in coffee shops while discouraged in the library.

Thus, supporting the result why students would prefer the presence of the

factors -- Music, Food and Chatter in the coffee shop and not in the library.

In connection with the Convenience factor, determining the time of the

day students prefer to study would be beneficial. Aside from that, the

time of the day students prefer to study and the time business opens and

closes may have an effect in choosing the place.

18%

8%

4%

12%23%

36%

What time of the day do you prefer to study?

early morning (12:00 AM- 5:59 AM)

morning (6:00 AM - 10:59 AM)

noon (11:00 AM - 12:59 PM)

afternoon (1:00 PM - 5:59 PM)

evening (6:00 PM - 8:59 PM)

late evening (9:00 PM - 11:59 PM)

Graph 3.The time of the day where students prefer to study.

The graph presents that most students (36%) prefer to study at late

evening from 9 PM to 11:59 PM. The next preferred time is in the evening

from 6 PM to 8:59 PM and in the early morning from 12 AM to 5:59 AM which

have the 23% and 18% of the total vote of preference from the population.

23% (8% from morning, 4% from noon, and 11% from afternoon votes) says

they would like to study in between the period from 6 AM to 5:59 PM. This

suggests that almost half of the population, 46%, (23% of whichis from the

evening preference and the remaining is from the combination of the

morning, noon and afternoon preferences) would be inclined in studying

during the hours that the library is open and available for the students use.

Depending on the business/operating hours of the different coffee

shops scattered in Dumaguete City, the result shown in Table 2 suggests

that from almost all of the time preference stated except for the early

morning preference, students can study in these premises since these

establishments usually opens at 10 in the morning and closes at 10 in the

evening.

Graph 4.Place in which students prefer to study.

Library38%

Coffee Shop27%

House/Dorm24%

Others11%

Where do you prefer to study?

From the graph above, it shows that the Library have a bigger

percentage (38%) over the percentage of coffee shops (27%) in the students’

preference of the place to study. Having 24% of the vote, house/dorm is still

one of the top options of students on where to study.

The mixture of the results found from Table 1, Table 2, Graph 3, and

Graph 4 would tell that despite the convenience factor and the time of the

day that students prefer to study, they would still prefer to study in the

library than in any other places.

CHAPTER 3: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Conclusion

This comparative study determined which area is the more preferred

place of students for studying. It also includes which of the factors influenced

their choice the most in choosing the place and how their study times affect

their decision. Both are significantly different from each other but

nonetheless, both are major options for students for studying especially

during major exams like Midterms and Finals.

Based on the data collected from the survey, the top five factors that

the students consider in choosing a place to study are comfort, silence,

convenience, cleanliness and accessibility. In all the top five factors, the

library was the more preferred place. Overall, the library is the more

preferred place to study for students than coffee shops and other places.

Recommendation

Information gathered in this research showed some factors affecting

study habits. Hence, for further study, other factors should also be

considered – factors that do not just belong on the ‘comfort’ or ‘convenience’

aspect. One example may be the aroma or the interior design of the place

(factors that may possibly affect the psychological part of the students). The

aroma of the coffee, for some people, may trigger their brain to gear up and

their body to move. The placement of the furniture, as believed, can also

influence the student’s focus. (Therefore, research relating to this study

should also be open to other factors.)

The student’s level of productivity may also differ depending on what

type of work they are doing in a certain place. For example, a student who

closely studies (reading notes or memorizing) may prefer staying in a very

quiet place (depending on the preference) in order for him or her to retain

the information that he or she have read. But for a student, for instance, who

is working on a paper or solving a math problem may rather go to a not-so-

quiet place to be with his or her groupmates to be able to brainstorm. Thus,

such study regarding on the productivity level of a student’s studying

location can be put into consideration in addition to this research.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616092116.htm

APPENDIX

Sample Questionaire

SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY

DUMAGUETE CITY, PHILIPPINES

April 16, 2015

Dear Respondent,

We are students from Silliman University currently enrolled in

management 35 (Business Research).

To fulfil a requirement of our subject, we are conducting a study on the

topic The Preferred Place to Study for Students: Libraryor Coffee

Shops. In line with this, we seek your assistance to answeringthe

questionnaire with utmost honesty.

We assure you that all information you provide will be kept

confidential and will be solely used for the purpose of the said study.

Respectfully yours,

CARL BUHISAN ALFEOS JEE BONTOGBBA MGT-III BBA MGT-III

NORIEL CALUSCUSIN DON JOVIE DORIABBA MGT-III BBA MGT-III

JESSA EMIA GAIL TENAJABBA MGT-III BBA MGT-III

LANZ ORILLAN JESSA VENTOLIROBBA MGT-III BBA MGT-III

ALEXA VANIA VILLANUEVABBA MGT-III

Noted by:

PROF. MIRABELLE ENGCOYManagement 35 Adviser

Name (Optional) :

Course and Year :

Gender :

INSTRUCTIONS: Check the box corresponding to your answer.

1. How often do you study in a week?1-2 days 3-4 days Never 5-6 days More than 6 days

2. How long do you study in a day? Less than 1 hour 1-2 hours3-4 hours 5-6 hoursMore than 5 hours

3. During what time of the day do you prefer to study? (Check all that apply.)

Early Morning (12:00 AM – 5:59 AM) Morning (6:00 AM – 10:59 AM) Noon (11:00 AM – 12:59 PM) Afternoon (1:00 PM – 5:59 PM) Evening (6:00 PM – 8:59 PM) Late Evening (9:00 PM – 11:59 PM)

4. From the list of factors below, what are your top considerations when choosing the place to study? Choose five and rank them from 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest).

Convenience Accessibility Security Comfort Spaciousness Population Density Cleanliness Music Chatter Silence Food Free Wifi Charging Station Accessibility of Other Study Materials

5. In terms of the following factors, check the box of the place you prefer.

CONVENIENCE (no time limit to the place) Library Coffee shop Both

None

ACCESSIBILITY (nearer to school)

Library Coffee shop Both

None

SECURITY (located in a safe area; equipped with CCTV, etc.) Library Coffee shop Both

None

COMFORT (ventilation, lighting & furniture) Library Coffee shop Both

None

SPACIOUSNESS Library Coffee shop Both

None

POPULATION DENSITY (number of people within the area) Library Coffee shop Both

None

CLEANLINESS Library Coffee shop Both

None

MUSIC (background music)

Library Coffee shop Both

None

CHATTER (allows people to discuss)

Library Coffee shop Both

None

SILENCE

Library Coffee shop Both

None

FOOD

Library Coffee shop Both

None

FREE WIFI (availability and speed)

Library Coffee shop Both

None

CHARGING STATION (availability and cost)

Library Coffee shop Both

None

ACCESSIBILITY OF OTHER STUDY MATERIALS

Library Coffee shop Both

None

6. Where would you prefer to study?

Library Coffee shop Others, please specify:

7. Any recommendations/suggestions/opinion to improve this study?