QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Effect of presentation soft skill on university students in

Hanoi
Introduction
Purpose of the study
This study aims to provide data on the effects of presentation skills at selective
university in Hanoi on their academic result and the reality of presentation teaching
process. The information in this research obtained from students at the age of 19 22 in HANU (Hanoi University).
Justification for the study
In this competitive world, presentation skills (and oral communication skills in
general) become a requirement for any student who wants to have excellent
academic performances and favorable opportunities for future career.
To illustrate, a study conducted by Aziz Corporation revealed presentation skills
were more essential for career achievement than intelligence or financial
proficiency. Besides, the study also suggested that insufficient presentation skills
could hinder ones employment (Aziz 1998). In another paper, together McKeen,
Bujaki and Burke (2000) found that to the view of graduate students, the most
significant initiatives for the improvement of curricular in universities was
upgrading communication and presentation skills. In the majority of courses taken
in universities, instructors generally require students either graduate or
undergraduate to present their assignment (anything from research paper to
projects, etc.) during or at the end of the semester. As a result, the presentation
plays an important role in the teaching and studying process. It not only does foster
students learning ability but also keep them engaged in the class. The reason for

this is: it leaves the first and foremost impression of the lecture and if done
effectively, can attract and interest the audience from the beginning to the end.
Furthermore, anyone of our young generation nowadays with predominant
communication and/or presentation skills would definitely have considerable
advantages over their peers and competitors. These skills give the graduates who
are looking for a job a differentiator among others and more career options.
However, there is an undeniable fact that presentation skills are not given proper
consideration. For such a long time, reading comprehension, research and writing
skills has become the main focus and been taught heavily in academic institutions.
On the other hand, presentation skills, despite its significance, are often
overlooked, that is to say, not many university professors and/or lecturers make
attempts to advance them. It does not challenge those academic staff, yet it truly
takes time along with dedication. Only by making presentation skills a priority
could they help students learn and even master it.
Research question and Hypothesis
- How do the presentation soft skill influence the student academic result and
their confident?
- What can be done to encourage the positive effect of presentation soft skill?

Definition of terms
- Soft skills are a mass of skills such communication or presentation, research
and writing skills used to perform basic duties (projects) at work. In other
words, these are skills that define one's approach towards work, life,
problems, etc (Kasih). In his study, soft skill refers to the cluster of
personality traits, social graces, facility with language, personal habits,
friendliness, and optimism. A study conducted by Aziz Corporation
indicated that presentation skills were important for achieving success in
future career. Two most important elements in assessing the effectiveness of
presentation were enjoyable content and presenters communication skills.
Besides, elements to make an effective presentation include involving the

audience through active participation and seeking feedback, providing

handouts, and selecting appropriate visual aids.

- Self-confidence is also essential to the effectiveness of the communication or

presentation. To be more precise, the ability to order ones own tasks, to
learn from experience, to make questions and repair omissions, and to
acquire criticism and knowledge to use it in concrete situations without
feeling confused or unwelcome.

- Fluency: The conformity to prevailing norms in the given workplace.

Indeed, the ability to make ones good appearance is expressed through
his/her press, grooming, body language, tone of voice, and vocabulary
according to the particular culture. Considering the importance of
communication and/or presentation skills, it is necessary to increase the
confidence level and improve presentation skills of students to speak
fluently in front of a group of people.

Brief overview of study

This study assume that if research can provide information about whether the
implementation of presentation skill has much or no positive effect on university
students subsequent academic success in Vietnam, then education policymakers
can use that information to examine which are the best or most effective ways and
methods should be applied to insert presentation skill classes in universitys
curriculum. It is also assumed that other soft skills would be explored with the goal
of providing beneficial skills for university students.
Using groups of students that have either been practiced or promoted, this study
will examine test data to determine if there is a relation between presentation skills
and students academic growth.

Identify variable
Independent variable: The teaching of presentation soft skill student received every
years
Dependant variable: The effect on each individual student
While the number of students studying presentation skill in the selective university
are considered similar every years, there are a few possible intervening variables
on the effect of the skill onto each individual students. That might includes the
number of presentation hours each student executed every month, how well the
teacher delivered the skills. Another variables involve the different curriculum
between different faculty in the selective university that we choose results in the
difference of the awareness of the skills between different students coming from
different faculty.
In order to stabilize the variable, we will prepare a questionaire were distributed
randomly to one selective faculty. The questions will focus on some fields related
to presentation skill like its well-known, its importance , and its teaching quality in
order to collect and analyze the data so as to figure out the positive effect of
presentaion soft skill onto their academic result. Besides, we gave students open
questions to help them express their ideas about presentation skill teaching to
support our hypothesis better.

Theoretical framework
Kasih, T. (n.d), The need for soft skills. Available at:
https://attachment.fbsbx.com/file_download.php?
id=1174542795906301&eid=ASt9Ye1_oGrK3h62EubpMaiuBgebnRG8o0gOvI9_X4JqfQwXGH9mb1rkv_Xou0p6U&inline=1&ext=1446042885&hash=ASsUt-o4aF4oA4ie
Kasih concluded that competitive job market means minimum acceptable skills are
commonly replaced with higher standards (include soft skills).

Aziz, K. (1998). The key to perfect presentations. Industrial and Communication

Training, 30(6), pp. 214-217.
In his study, Aziz refered to the lack of presentation skills because of focusing on
written words and neglecting spoken communication skills. Besides, he found
presentation skills were more important for individual career success than
intelligence or financial proficiency.
Slaana ivkovi, PhD 2014, The Importance Of Oral Presentations For University
Students. Available at:
www.mcser.org/journal/index.php/mjss/article/viewFile/4278/4184
This research provides analysis on the significance of oral presentation to
university students. The author suggested that oral presentations provide a
rewarding and stimulating experience both for teachers in developing facilitating
skills and for students in training themselves to have confident presentations in
public
Patricia H.Hamm, Ph.D 2005, Teaching and Persuasive Communication: Class
Presentation Skills. Available at:
https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CBwQFjA
AahUKEwjF5uKHvuXIAhVLpZQKHSz0A4s&url=http%3A%2F
%2Fwww.brown.edu%2Fabout%2Fadministration%2Fsheridan-center%2Fsites
%2Fbrown.edu.about.administration.sheridan-center%2Ffiles%2Fuploads
%2FTeaching%2520and%2520Persuasive
%2520Communication.pdf&usg=AFQjCNE3hBR1GUOZeRu6skl9B85YWy8gFA
&bvm=bv.106130839,d.dGo
In this handbook from Brown University, it is clear that oral presentation, if done
effectively, can increase efficiency of the teaching and learning process
Khaled Alshare & Nitham M. Hindi 2004, The importance of presentation skills in
the classroom: student and instructors perspectives. Available at:
http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1050233

This study aimed to examine the role of student presentations in the classroom in
the opinion of both teachers and students. The two authors came to a conclusion
that according to instructors and students, presentation skills is very essential yet
not given adequate consideration in universities

Research design
The design of this study will be a survey that investigates the implementation of
presentation soft skill and the effect of it on students of Faculty of International
Studies (FIS), Hanoi University. The variables being analyzed will be the
awareness of the students of the skills, how was the effect on the students academic
result and self confident.
Research sample
The research sample of this study will be the students in the faculty of International
Studies (FIS) of Hanoi University regardless of gender. Most of them will be in the
age of 19 22. The population of the study will be resident living in Hanoi with
distinguish backgrounds.
Procedure
First of all, we set up a detailed questionnaire. In the next step, we are going to conduct
this questionnaire to collect data in online surveys through social network channel such
as Facebook.
Research instrument and data collection
The fact finding strategies are the tools for data collection. The data is collected by using
questionnaire. It must be ensured that the instrument chosen is valid and reliable. We will

have a list of questions for student in FIS, and their answers will be used to determine
the effect of presentation skills on their academic result and their confident.
Internal Validity
Data Analysis
Data analysis will be collected from the questionnaire of 50 students in the selective
faculty plus the reliable reading materials on the good effect of presentation skills bring
to the self confident factor of students.

QUESTIONAIRE
We, group of FIS students in Hanoi University, are researching on the implementation of
presentation skill in Vietnam universities with focus on the current situation. So, we hope
that you can help us by answering our questionnaire. It will not take you too long time.
Thank you!
1.Do you know about presentation skill? (If say No, please skip following questions and
move to question 7)
A. Yes

B. No

2. According to your opinion, how is presentation skill important compared to other skills
like academic reading, ..?
Absolutely not important
1

Very important
2

3. How much time do you present per month?

A. < 30 minutes
B. 30 minutes 1 hour
C. > 1 hour

4. How do you consider your presentation?

Very bad
1

Very well
2

5. How do you think about this statement: The better presentation, the better academic
result ?
Absolutely wrong
1

Very exact
2

6. What level is the quality of presentation teaching in your university?

1

7. You think presentation teaching should be improved by..

8. If you do not know about presentation skill, do you want to study in your university?
A. Yes
9. Which form do you want to be taught presentation skill?

B. No

10. Should presentation skill be more spread ?

A. Yes

B. No

References:
Aziz, K. 1998. The key to perfect presentations. Industrial and Communication
Training, 30(6), pp. 214-217.
Kasih, T. (n.d), The need for soft skills.
https://attachment.fbsbx.com/file_download.php?
id=1174542795906301&eid=ASt9Ye1_oGrK3h62EubpMaiuBgebnRG8o0gOvI9_X4JqfQwXGH9mb1rkv_Xou0p6U&inline=1&ext=1446042885&hash=ASsUt-o4aF4oA4ie
Khaled Alshare & Nitham M. Hindi 2004, The importance of presentation skills in
the classroom: student and instructors perspectives.
http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1050233
Patricia H.Hamm, Ph.D 2005, Teaching and Persuasive Communication: Class
Presentation Skills
https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CBwQFjAAahUK
EwjF5uKHvuXIAhVLpZQKHSz0A4s&url=https%3A%2F%2Fptop.only.wip.la%3A443%2Fhttp%2Fwww.brown.edu

%2Fabout%2Fadministration%2Fsheridan-center%2Fsites
%2Fbrown.edu.about.administration.sheridan-center%2Ffiles%2Fuploads%2FTeaching
%2520and%2520Persuasive
%2520Communication.pdf&usg=AFQjCNE3hBR1GUOZeRu6skl9B85YWy8gFA&bvm
=bv.106130839,d.dGo
Slaana ivkovi, PhD 2014, The Importance Of Oral Presentations For University
Students
www.mcser.org/journal/index.php/mjss/article/viewFile/4278/4184