Examining the Social Responsibility, Social Entrepreneurship, and Volunteering Levels of University Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between social responsibility, volunteering and social entrepreneurship of university students in Kazakhstan regarding various variables. In this context, the study was conducted with the comparative relational survey method, one of the descriptive survey models. The scope of the research consists of 317 students studying in different departments of three universities in Kazakhstan. The data collection process was carried out in January and February of 2025, over a total period of two months. An online survey form was prepared via Google Forms as a data collection tool and was delivered to the participants online. Data were collected through the Social Entrepreneurship Scale, Social Responsibility Scale, and Volunteerism Scale. Parametric tests such as the independent groups t-test, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Analysis, and Regression Analysis were used in the analysis of the data. According to the research results, it was revealed that the volunteering, social responsibility, and social entrepreneurship levels of university students were generally high. Female students scored higher in volunteering and social responsibility, while males outperformed in some social entrepreneurship sub-dimensions. Upper-year students scored higher across all scales than lower-year students. Volunteering and social entrepreneurship positively influenced social responsibility perceptions, explaining 28.5% of the variance. Future studies should explore these perceptions with larger, diverse samples using mixed methods, and universities could integrate related courses into curricula while recognizing students’ competencies.