Abstract

The study aims at finding gender difference in the study patterns and environment of study followed by different university students in Pakistan. To undertake this study, we have collected data from 1334 university students (male= 649, female = 685) in Pakistan. They respond of the self-reported questionnaires on five study patterns such as study aloud, walking while studying, study silently, watching TV or listening to music while studying and group study and environment of study like as Calm place ( e.g. bedroom, study room), Noisy place (e.g. T.V lounge), Library / Lab study, Lawn / Cafe campus. The difference between male and female students was examined with an independent t-test. It found that gender plays a significant role in differentiating the pattern of studying aloud. No gender difference was observed for all other forms of study and environment. The study suggests conducting more research in future to clear the gender role.

Key Words

Gender Difference, Study Pattern, Environmental Study

Introduction

Study habits mean different ways to research whether systematic or unsystematic, successful or otherwise. The most important factors affecting the success of students are learning behaviors. Study habits mean the development of the set of habits for individuals to react to the learning level. Study habits of learners are considered as the methods of exercising their individual abilities in the learning process (Nneji, 2002). The approach to learning of the student is inherently individual, with wide variations. One may prefer a decent library, another, a lounge; one may emphasize a text, one may take notes; one may study intensively for many hours; another may take several breaks. The manner in which you study, whether you read an audience, read aloud, read silently or read quietly as you listen, can also affect understanding. Some studies think that oral reading supports students ' understanding because it helps to focus on words and involves a second method (Seidel, Kett, & Perencevich, 2007). Robinson's (2002) claim that successful teachers, a conducive study environment, ways of study, courses in studies, support for their parents, good books and students' habits, are the ingredients of learning and improved university success (as stated in Akpan, and Salome 2015). With the patterns of study, another factor environment for studying is considerably important. The research environment means the physical, psychological and social circumstances that are important to the well-being of students and how they operate in their studies.

We will improve our learning output through a safe study environment. A productive research environment is given as a means for positive effort in combination with efficient time management, high motivation, strong reading and comprehension skills and structured test preparations. A good environment for studying means something different from each person. The definition of the environment of good study is highly individual. One environment is suitable for one not for others. In learning situation, one can designate one special place for study to avoid distractions. Students should prefer a place which allows maximum concentration. These practiced efforts are an essential element of study habits, and this central part of habit leads towards academic commitment. We expect that there would be gender differences among different study patterns adopted by the university students.

The Rationale of the Study

The present research was designed for determining the gender difference among patterns of study habits adopted during their study behavior. The knowledge about the importance of efficient study habits leads to building healthy study habits that result in robust learning. The current research explored how different students adopt healthy study habits and academic achievement accordingly. The role of efficient and inefficient study habits in the academic achievement direct the investigator to offer empirically-based recommendations to develop productive study habits which produce high academic learning. We must see if the male and female students vary in these patterns. 




Objective




Purpose of research was to see whether male and female university students were

significantly different from each other in following different study patterns and in

selecting an environment for studying. 

Research Hypotheses




H1 Significant difference exists in the male and female university students on the pattern of studying aloud. 

H2 Significant difference exists in the male and female university students on the pattern of walk while studying.

H3 Significant difference exists in the male and female university students on the pattern of studying silently.

H4 Significant difference exists in the male and female university students on the pattern of listening to music or watching TV while studying. 

H5 Significant difference exists in the male and female university students on the pattern of group/ peer study. 

H6 Significant difference exists in the male and female university students in choosing a calm place for study.

H7 Significant difference exists in the male and female university students in choosing a noisy place for study.

H8 Significant difference exists in the male and female university students in choosing library or lab for study.

H9 Significant difference exists in the male and female university students in choosing the campus lawn or cafeteria for study.




Null Hypotheses




H0-1 No significant difference exists in the male and female university students on the pattern of studying aloud. 

H0-2 No significant difference exists between the male and female university students on the pattern of walk while studying.

H0-3 No significant difference exists between the male and female university students on the pattern of studying silently.

H0-4 No significant difference exists between the male and female university students on the pattern of listening to music or watching TV while studying. 

H0-5 No significant difference exists between the male and female university students on the pattern of group/ peer study. 

H0-6 No significant difference exists between the male and female university students in choosing a calm place for study.

H0-7 No significant difference exists between the male and female university students in choosing a noisy place for study.

H0-8 No significant difference exists between the male and female university students in choosing library or lab for study.

H0-9 No significant difference exists between the male and female university students in choosing campus lawn or cafeteria for study.

Literature Review

A study is an organized way of using mental abilities to solve a problem. Since long studying is the prime source through that learning outside the class may occur. Notably, study habits are linked with extraneous variables that facilitate the process of learning; it also helps to maintain concentration during studying period, analyzing and detailed description of the material and creating an environment where learning may occur (Cerna & Pavliushchenko, 2015). 

Patel (2016) stated that study habits are the learning-related activities of a person. In learning process, study habits are students’ routine approaches to practicing and application of competencies to learn are regarded as study habits. The specific mode of behavior applied by a learner for a task is considered as their study habits. Their personality is depicted by their study habits. 

Study trends of individuals who have achieved exceptional academic achievement frequently indicate a well-designed pattern or plan. There is no ideal template of study pattern that applies to all students, although a number of students who perform well academically favor certain times of a day and certain locations. To order to encourage student success, college students should recognize the value of tailored research habits and research on a daily basis, rather than constant procrastination. To encourage student achievement and reach their ultimate career target after graduation (Lei, 2015), college students should recognize the value of tailored research habits and study on a regular basis rather than constant procrastination.

One must make sure not to get distracted while studying. Everyone gets distracted by something. Maybe this is television. Or perhaps, it is one’s family. Or perhaps it is simply too quiet. In reality, some people study better with a bit of background noise. When you are distracted while studying you (1) lose your thought train and (2) cannot focus — both of which lead to very ineffective study. Before you begin to study find a place where you will not be distracted or distracted. For some, this is quite cubical in the library's recesses. For others, there is a common area where the background noise is a little bit.

Peer or group learning is commonly helpful. It involves knowledge sharing, thoughts and experience among individuals. It ranged from independent to interdependent learning. Learning acquires when students explain their views to their group members and in the same way they can learn from their peers (Baud, 2001). According to Macpherson (1999, 2015) through cooperative learning group activities, students’ critical thinking can be enhanced. 

A healthy learning environment including physical spaces (Garland, 1994) and time management is a crucial factor for a productive learning situation. All places where students carry out study and research inside and outside of the home include study spaces (Buck, 2016). Stinebrickner & Stinebrickner (2004) described that the atmosphere where study is carried out affect the achievement.

There are certain study habits which are considered as mere actions. i.e. first recognizing constructive time for studying, plan goals for study sessions. Prepare difficult subject first, select a peaceful place for studying, and avoid distractions, before the instruction starts in the class also the review notes after the class (Leyden and Link, 2015). Willingham (2010) wanted to research in a quiet environment with as little noise as possible, and thus recommended not listening to music or television ... When one of them is training, it is almost impossible to perform two things at once. He was also in favor that students should not encourage multitasking when they are engaged in some important assignment. 

Methods and Procedure

Sample




Seven universities (Public sector) were targeted on the basis of having five common departments. The main departments were true: Computers, the Economics, Education departments, the department of environment and the department of Management. The study sample consisted of 1334 students selected from these Punjab Public Sector Universities. Students from each department were selected proportionately, according to the existed total number of the students in the department. 




Instrumentation




To determine the study patterns and environment for studying, a questionnaire consisted of items on five different study patterns and four different environments, was used to collect data. The students chose four different study patterns. On the other hand, they chose environments in which they study.  

Results

Table 1. Descriptive Statistics for Male and Female Students Following Study Patterns

	Gender	N	Mean	Std. Deviation
Studying aloud	Male	649	.18	.385
	Female	685	.24	.428
Walk while studying	Male	649	.25	.433
	Female	685	.27	.443
Studying Silently	Male	649	.63	.483
	Female	685	.61	.488
Listening to music/watching T.V while studying	Male	649	.08	.274
	Female	685	.09	.283
Group / Peer Study	Male	649	.38	.486
	Female	685	.37	.483

 

Table 1 presents male and female students with mean and standard deviations. The table indicates descriptive statistics for different study patterns for both men and women students separately. The total of students was 1334. Male students were 649 (48.65%) while female students were 685 (51.35%). The results reveal that females have higher average scores than males on study aloud, walk while studying, and group study. Both are the same at listening to music during study. On the contrary, males have a higher average score for study silently.

Table 2. t-test for Gender Difference on Following Study Patterns

Variables n= 1334	T	Sig. (2-tailed)	95% Confidence Interval of the Difference
			Lower	Upper
Studying aloud	-2.723	.007	-.104	-.017
Walk while studying	-.731	.465	-.129	.059
Studying Silently	.806	.421	-.092	.221
Listening to music/watching T.V while studying	-.388	.698	-.143	.096
Group / Peer Study	.482	.630	-.196	.324

 

Table 2 indicates the independent sample t-test in use for male and female students in different study patterns, with the lower and upper bounds of a 95% confidence interval. The table indicates that the pattern of studying aloud is significantly different between males and females (t = -2.723; sig = 0.007). Next pattern was to walk while studying. From the table, we can see that there is no significant difference between males and females on the second study pattern (t = -.731; sig = 0.465). Third pattern was studying silently. From the table, it is clear that there is no significant difference between males and females on the third pattern as well as silently studying (t = .806; sig = 0.421). The same is the case for fourth and fifth patterns. There is no significant difference between males and females listening to music and watching television during study (t = -.388; sig = 0.698), and group study pattern (t = .482; sig = 0.630). So, the results reject first null hypothesis. On the other hand, it supports all the other null hypotheses. 95% confident upper and lower bounds are also indicated in the table.

Table 3. Descriptive Statistics for Male and Female Students Choosing Environment for Study

	Gender	N	Mean	Std. Deviation
Calm place (e.g. bedroom, study room)	Male	649	.91	.283
	Female	685	.91	.291
Noisy place (e.g. T.V lounge)	Male	649	.05	.210
	Female	685	.06	.243
Study in Library/Lab	Male	649	.20	.402
	Female	685	.22	.413
Campus Lawn/ Cafe	Male	649	.13	.332
	Female	685	.14	.350

 

Table 3 reveals the mean and standard deviations environmental identified by the male and female students. The above table indicates descriptive statistics for different environments chosen by four male and female students. The results depict that male and female students have exactly an equal average score for using a calm place to study as well as a noisy place to study. The score is almost zero describing that both genders do not prefer to select noisy place to study. On the other hand, female students have a slightly higher average score for using library, campus lawn and cafeteria for study.

Table 4. t-test for Gender Difference on the Environments in which the student’s study

Variables n= 1334	t	df	Sig. (2-tailed)	95% Confidence Interval of the Difference
				Lower	Upper
Calm place (e.g., bedroom, study room)	.356	1332	.722	-.025	.036
Noisy place (e.g. T.V lounge)	-1.328	1332	.184	-.041	.008
Study in Library/Lab	-.702	1332	.483	-.059	.028
Campus Lawn/ café	-.893	1332	.372	-.053	.020

 

Table 4 describes t-test for gender differences upon discriminant environments in which students’ study. The environments for study were calm places at home such as bedroom, and study room; noisy places like as TV lounge; library studies; and campus lawn studies or cafes.

We could see that in the settings they wanted to sample, there was little disparity between males and females. 95% confident upper and lower bounds are also shown in the table.

Major Findings

Based on the above results, we have sought out the following findings:




1. The essential purpose was to identify how gender differs on various study patterns in Pakistan. Students vary in their patterns of study according to their gender. The results indicate that the habits of study-aloud vary for males and females. We have not found any difference in the pattern of study by walking in the two groups. The mode of study silently was also not different between male and female students. Similarly, study while listening to music and watching TV was the same for both genders. However, group study patterns by male and female students were also the same with no difference. 

2. Therefore, we accepted our hypothesis that the pattern of aloud study among male and female university students would make a significant difference; and the null hypothesis against this was rejected. On the contrary, all other research hypotheses were not supported while the null hypotheses against them were supported significantly. 

Discussion

In the present research, we explored the disparity between male and female students on the patterns of study they adopt. Major findings are presented above. The below is discussion upon the findings.

The research indicates male and female students differ in the research-aloud test. The study was consistent with the past research which explored similar findings (Hong & Milgram, 2000).

Secondly, we found no difference in the pattern of study by walking in the two groups. The findings also found that male and female students in the study group were not different. of walking while studying (Landau, 2010, as quoted in Elangovan, 2014).  

Third was the mode of study silently which was also not different between male and female students. The most wanted study pattern in all three categories is to study silently. Studying while listening to or looking at television, on the other hand, seemed less common among students at university. A research revealed in this relation that the students performed less when listening to music.  They worked in the quiet and the repetition excellent. The selection of a quiet place makes the studying area pleasant and motivating, while not distracting you from studies to prevent distractions in high traffic or from television or anything else (Kuther, 2015; Cerna; & Pavliushchenko, 2015).

Similarly, study while listening to music and watching TV was the same for both genders. Studies have shown that watching TV or distraction while studying does not help to improve learning (Bertucci, Conte, Johnson & Johnson 2010). In a study shown the degree of conscious engagement with the conduct is higher than the degree of unconscious engagement with the material. When participants listen to music while studying, which seems to be a higher order task, their responses to the music tend to be the least receptive to the music (Rinsema, 2016).

Finally, male and female student group study trends were likewise the same without any distinction. Harrop & Turpin (2013) note that informal learning areas are used for self-directed learning activities for male and female students, and these can be in and out of the library spaces.

Conclusions

In the light of finding, it was concluded that university students all male and female are the same in using all these practices, i.e., studying silently in groups, studying loudly, walking while learning, and learning while there is the only difference between the male and females upon studying aloud. 

Recommendations

It was proposed that teacher-driven thoughts and strategies encourage silent research and community research as the study silently promotes critical thinking, improves focus and 

1. Understanding while peer group learning supports collaborative learning, and bridging the gap.

2. To promote on-campus learning universities, need to provide developed and upgraded library and lab facility, secure environment, provision of internet resources. Which may offer knowledge-based skill, as an implanted commitment.

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