The role of extracurricular student activities in enriching artistic skills among Saudi university students: King Faisal university as a model

The goal of the study was to explore the role of extracurricular student activities (ESA) in enriching the artistic skills of university youth at King Faisal University (KFU) in Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It also aimed to identify differences in participants’ perspectives regarding this role based on selected demographic variables (gender, academic level, major, and GPA). A total of 724 male and female students participated in the study. The research adopted a descriptive survey methodology, and a questionnaire was developed to examine students' perceptions of the contribution of ESA to enhancing artistic skills. The results indicated that the perceived role of ESA in enriching artistic skills was high among participants. Furthermore, the findings revealed no statistically significant differences in responses based on gender (male/female), while statistically significant differences were found based on academic level (undergraduate vs. graduate), in favor of graduate students. Significant differences were also observed based on college type (humanities, applied sciences, health), and GPA categories (2-2.99, 3-3.99, 4-5). Based on these findings, the study recommends several measures to enhance the role of ESA in developing students' artistic skills at KFU. These include increasing support for extracurricular programs due to their significant impact on artistic skill development, encouraging students to participate in the design and leadership of artistic activities under the supervision of faculty members from the Art Education Department, and highlighting outstanding students in extracurricular artistic activities through university media platforms and recognizing them with awards.