Journal Archive

Mokpo National Maritime University has two training ships for the training of merchant and naval students. The training ships are used for on-the-job training and safety education in accordance with STCW (as amended) Regulations. Professors, instructors, officers and crews are onboard T/S Sae Yudal and T/S Sae Nuri to teach and train future maritime professionals. These training ships visit the major harbors and sail around Korean coasts, and also call on major harbors in the region-East and Southeast Asian countries. The training ships likewise trains maritime students from other countries in the region: China, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

The particulars of the two training ships are shown in <Table 1>. The data are for the 1^st semester of SY 2016.

The survey questionnaire covers the school year periods of 2014/15 and 2015/16. There were four nationalities-respondents to the questionnaires: Philippines (PMMA and MAAP), China (Shanghai Maritime University), Taiwan (National Kaohsiung Maritime University), and Vietnam (Vietnam Maritime University) with the total of twenty-one (21) respondents. Three (3) of the respondents were invited and responded by e-mails while the rest (18) were asked and answered while still staying onboard at the later part of their training before they returned to their respective countries.

The respondents duration of stay onboard the training ships was tabulated in <Table 3>.

2.1 English Language Proficiency

The respondents were asked about their English speaking ability weighted by “Below Average”, “Average”, “Above Average” and “Excellent” The question was included because the university recognizes the importance of speaking in the universal language.

[Fig. 1] shows that 57% (12) of the foreign students classified themselves as average while 43% (9) as above-average. They admitted that it is a requirement for inclusion in their overseas program before they are sent to MMU.

[Fig. 1] 
English-Language Proficiency

The succeeding sections, 2.2-2.4, deal with each cadet’s objective assessments of their experiences during their respective stays onboard the training ships. There are sets of questions on each three main topics. To evaluate and analyze the responses according to their level of satisfaction and/or adequacy, each is ranked with their nominal weights shown in <Table 4>.

<Table 4> 
Assigned ranks to each nominal weight

Rank	Nominal Weight
A	Very adequate / Very satisfactory
B	Fairly adequate / Fairly satisfactory
C	Less adequate / Less satisfactory
D	No Opinion / No Comment

2.2 Personal life onboard

There are seven (7) questions asked in this topic and “other” for the respondents to freely give their personal observation. <Table 5> includes the ‘un-edited’ responses of the respondents shown in the “Remarks” column. This section deals with their personal day-to-day life onboard. The study selected the seven (7) personal life topics that would have the greatest impact to an alien’s daily life onboard when separated from his/her native land.

<Table 5> 
Personal Life Onboard

Items	A	B	C	D	Remarks
Living accommodation and personal hygiene space	8	8	3	2	Perfect facilities
Handling of change of culture; weather conditions; language differences; etc.	2	12	7	0	No language basic, hard(sic) talking
					Only language
Means of communicating with family and friends back home	11	5	4	1	Just Apple and Samsung can get simcard
Treatment of Korean fellow students onboard	9	9	2	1	Out of friendship without obligations
					They are friendly to Filipino students
Treatment of Foreign students other than Korean.	8	7	5	1	They are not so friendly
Treatment of Officers and Crews onboard	8	10	1	2	Very kind Officers
					Instructor more severe
					They talk less to use maybe because of the language
System and procedure of handling/dealing with your concerns or problems	2	7	12	0	We had two (2) Filipino Professors that were approachable
					Still don’t know the relationship between the school authorities
(Others) Meal			1		Not use to kimchi and raw meal
Total	48	58	35	7

[Fig. 2] graphs the responses to the questions about their personal life onboard. As stated in Section 1.2, the purpose of the study is to pin-point the weak points, hence, the emphasis shall be the “Less Adequate” column.

[Fig. 2] 
Summary of Personal Life Onboard

Based on <Table 5>, the weakest points were the 1) “System and procedure of handling/dealing with your concerns or problems” (12 responses), 2) Handling of change of culture; weather conditions; language differences; etc.” (7 responses) and 3) “Treatment of foreign students other than Koreans” (5 responses). There were four (4) responses who have no opinion and 35 responses (24%) were dissatisfied (Less Adeq.).

2.3 Campus Social Life

This topic deals with the foreign students’ public life around the campus. Although the students were billeted onboard the training ships, they were allowed, ship’s rules considering, to roam around the university grounds. There are also university-training ships’ activities, like athletics, official tours, library visits, among others, that they can avail during their stay.

<Table 6> lists the questions pertaining to the students’ campus life. It shows that most foreign students were unaware of the university’s social activities for foreign students, 9. Six responses for each: “Treatment of other Korean students around the campus” and “Treatment of non-Korean students around the campus”

<Table 6> 
Campus Social Life

Items	A	B	C	D	Remarks
How is your movement around the University campus?	10	6	4	1	It seems like so many rules and I never visited other places
Treatment of other Korean students around the campus	7	6	6	2	Don't know something about this
					Sometime don’t want to play with me
Treatment of non-Korean students around the campus	12	1	6	2
University social activities for foreign students.	7	4	9	1	Just meeting once at the beginning
					Never heard about this
Personal tours and travels outside the university campus.	7	9	2	3	They allowed us to travel outside as long as we ask permission
					Nice country
(Others) Time Availability	1				Restricted
Total	44	26	27	9

[Fig. 3] presents the total outcome of the social life. Twenty-seven (21%) responses were “Less Adeq.” However, 44 responds (49%) that overall were “Very Adeq.” of their social life around the campus.

[Fig. 3] 
Summary of Students’ Social Life

2.4 Technical Training Onboard

This section deals with training onboard: the theoretical and the practical aspects of training. <Table 7> shows the questions, the responses and the respondents’ remarks. The <Table 7> shows that “Language mode of teaching” garnered the sole dissatisfaction, 57% at 12 responses. 52% were fairly satisfied (11 responses) on “Scheduled hours of training/classroom instruction” It means that they prefer a less classroom-based instructions. The remarks on this topic are most revealing and are mostly self-explanatory.

<Table 7> 
Technical Training

Items	A	B	C	D	Remarks
Onboard learning / training facilities, equipment	12	3	6	0
Onboard study / training hours outside the ship schedule	6	9	2	4	Learn a lot in duty time
Scheduled hours of training/class room instruction	6	11	4	0	They don’t consume the time
Language mode of teaching	1	6	12	2	Most of classes are thought by Korean, its hard to understand
					I don’t understand Hanguel
					Just Maritime English course have English
					At least one (1) class by Philippine Professor
Equipment used in training activities	8	7	4	1
Practical / Actual training of maritime subjects	6	9	5	1
Treatment of Professor / Instructors onboard	9	6	6	0	A little displeasure
Professors and teachers skills and qualification	13	4	3	0	I think they teach well, its just that I don’t understand them
Total	61	55	42	8

[Fig. 4] graphs the number of responses per level of satisfaction and/or adequacy and it shows that majority are very satisfied on the over-all adequacy of technical training onboard.

[Fig. 4] 
Summary of Technical Training Onboard

The study focuses on the satisfaction level of the students in relation with their life and training conditions onboard. “Are the cadets satisfied with their life and training while onboard?” It tests whether the null hypothesis: the conditions onboard has no effect on the satisfaction of the cadets. Gathering the results of the main topics, Sections 2.2-2.4, the study applies the Chi-square (χ²) Goodness-of-Fit test due to its non-parametric (categorical) nature.

Chi-Squared (χ²) Goodness-of-Fit formula:

if χ²(obt) > χ²(cv) = Reject the NULL Hypothesis
if χ²(obt) < χ²(cv) = Accept the NULL Hypothesis

<Table 9> tabulates the satisfaction levels and the conditions onboard of the cadets in a 3 x 3 format.

The expected frequencies were calculated according to the following formula, example:

df = (R-1)(C-1)= (3-1)(3-1)
df = 4
alpha = 0.05
χ² _{(cv)(.01)(11)} = 9.488 and χ² _(obs) = 4.713

Using the chi-square test, the computed value (4.713) is much less than the critical value (9.488) at df of 4, and at 5% level of significance. This means that the satisfaction levels of the foreign cadets are not affected by their conditions onboard. They are not significantly related.

Establishing the relationships among the variable, personal life, social life and training, this study uses the Pearson-product correlation coefficient of three variables. To calculate the correlations between the multivariates, the paper utilizes only the number of responses in the “Very Satisfactory/Very Adequate” column to all the subjects covered in each variables shown in <Table 11>.

Calculation of partial relationship between multivariates.

A. Relationship between 2 variables:

1. Personal life (A) and Social Life (B)

2. Personal life (A) and Training (C)

3. Social life (B) and Training (C)

B. Partial relationship between 2 variables when 1 variable is fixed:

4. Personal life and Social life (Training is fixed)

5. Personal life and Training (Social life is fixed)

6. Training and Social life (Personal life is fixed)

The foreign students rate their English-language proficiency as “Above Average” and “Average”. Personal life onboard: 58% were fairly satisfied, 48% very adequate and 35% saw their life onboard as less adequate. Social Campus Life: 49% (44) overall were satisfied while 21% (27) were less satisfied. 26 responded with fairly adequate living condition. Technical Training: the theoretical and the practical aspects of training overall has 61 responses as very adequate, 55 fairly adequate, and 42 less satisfied. In the particular question, “Language mode of teaching” garnered the sole dissatisfaction, 57% at 12 responses. 52% were fairly satisfied (11 responses) on “Scheduled hours of training/classroom instruction” This means that they prefer a less classroom-based instructions. In the “Miscellaneous” section the English-language inadequacy garnered the highest responses, (10). In the over-all training, equal responses, 5 each, were given on very satisfied, fairly satisfied and less satisfied satisfaction rating.

In the analysis, the satisfaction levels of the foreign cadets are not affected by their conditions onboard. They are not significantly related. The relationship between “Personal life” and “Social Life”, is moderately related. Personal life and Training has high relationship. Social life and Training has moderately related. Personal life and Social life (Training is fixed) slightly related. Personal life and Training (Social life is fixed) has moderate correlation and Training and Social life (Personal life is fixed) has very negligible relationship.

This study recommends that a more holistic and enthusiastic emphasis on the English language inadequacy be addressed whether in academic or social life onboard. The setting up of proper grievance unit where the students can air their concerns or grievances freely and objectively without fear is also recommended. It further proposes:

• 1. Providing a dedicated LIBRARY that contains the materials in English language like Culture and Life of the different countries in the region; wholesome movies: animated, drama, social or historical stories, etc. – that do not tackle on historical, ethnic, religious and cultural sensibilities; and collecting and/or subscribing to English maritime magazines (e.g. “Seaways magazine of The Nautical Institute” Society, etc, and/or other Engineering and Naval magazines) and/or other reading materials conducive to motivate students to read (Site-seeing, culinary, food, etc. that will spark their interests and other passions).
• 2. Conduct INTER-CULTURAL activities like games, shows and contests that focus also on other cultures.
• 3. Establishing “LANGUAGE-SCHOOL” onboard. This can be pursued in a non-formal setting and instructional methods to ease awkwardness among students and promote friendly ambiance by students themselves with supervision by the Professors and Staff.
• 4. Revising the onboard curriculum to include English language in its instructions.
• 5. Enhance the English-language usage either by PA announcement or bulletins of everyday routine activities and important information concerning (affecting) student’s life onboard.

The paper tackles the weaknesses in the condition of foreign students life and training with the aim to improve and develop a more conducive training conditions onboard the training ships. However, the immediate and long-term effects to the Korean cadets in terms of awareness and tolerance with other cultures, and improving their communication skills in the English language should, likewise, be taken into consideration. Further, the university stands to gain in prospering academic proficiency in technical matters and leads in the maritime education excellence.