A Study On Academic Performance of University Students: Keywords
A Study On Academic Performance of University Students: Keywords
A Study On Academic Performance of University Students: Keywords
OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
December 2018
Abstract
Keywords
1 Introduction
There has been multiple studies concerned with predicting educational achieve-
ment. The motivation could vary from determining the best candidate for uni-
versity admission or advising students with low grades.
1
1.1 Factors
Although various factors, ranging from parents income to conductive home en-
vironment to intermediate grades, are factors, we chose to study some of them.
These are listed below.
Future ambitions are a huge motivating factor as certain careers require better
grades than others.
Linnenbrink and Pintrich (2002) find academic motivation linked with aca-
demic goals as an academic enabler for success in school [2].
Dormitories or hostels are part of most Pakistani universities but they may
fail to accommodate all the students. Some of them temporarily seek housing
and boarding privately-run hostels near university campus. The study also
takes into account the students not living in hostel, otherwise known as ”day
scholars.”
Study habits are correlated with grades. Note taking, effort put in, planning,
proper place to study are the factors.
2
However, some studies, for instance, Howard Schuman, Edward Walsh, et
al. (1985) found no link between self-reported effort and grades [4].
Universities provide many avenues of social life like societies and clubs.
Long (2012) found certain parts of social life to be beneficial to academics [5].
1.1.6 Motivation
According to P.A. Jacobs and S.E. Newstead (2000), motivation can be derived
from inherent want to excel at a subject or excel at general skills or knowledge
in general [6].
3
2 Method
2.1 Population
2.2 Sample
The sample had students from diverse departments, ranging from humanities
department, School of Humanities and Social Sciences; business department,
NUST Business School; and an engineering department, School of Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science.
2.3 Instrument
An Internet form was floated on the mailing list. It had questions about the de-
partment, academic background, housing status, ultimate goal, question about
being morning or evening person, average hours of sleep, studying during lec-
ture, note taking, group study, question about preferring books, online resources
and lecture slides, study breaks, source of motivation, approach to studying (”I
just study”, ”hard work”, ”smart work”, ”hard+smart work”, social life, com-
ment on a statement about mental health affecting performance, and grading
point average (GPA) with range from 2 to 3.8+ with gaps of 0.2 to 0.3
There were yes/no questions about whether one is performing at one’s best,
studying well enough for exams, studying on daily basis, motivation during
semester, proper place to study, and planning one’s day.
To find correlation between different variables, one or two variables were varied
and others were made constant. Average was recorded for each variation.
At the end, data from various variations of variables were combined so that
only one variable vary and that is reported.
4
We also compare averages of the population to averages of top-performing
students, as measured by 3.8+ GPA.
3 Discussion
3.1 Findings
3.1.1 Background
Out of those who responded, 22% were with A Level background. The average
GPA of F.Sc. background students and A Level background students is 3.24
and 3.21, respectively.
The percentage figures for students that listed their future goal as ”job,” ”startup,”
”family business,” ”academia/research” were 39% , 33.9% , 5.1% , and 22% ,
respectively.
Their average GPAs were, in that order: 3.11, 3.18, 3.0, 3.5 as shown in
Figure 1.
3.1.3 Effort
Most (86%) reported that they are not performing at their best. About the same
percentage reported not studying on daily basis. That percentage dropped to
67.9% when asked about studying enough for exams.
The above mentioned queries revealed no significant difference when the goal
was reported as startup, and in case of academia, the difference was 3.4 vs 3.6,
when they answered yes to either question about performing at their best and
studying enough for exams. For other goals and their relation to the above
queries, there was not enough data available for any correlation.
5
Figure 1: Goals and GPAs
Focusing on students with GPA 3.8+ (n: 9), some marked differences were
obtained as given by Table 3.
44.44% of high achievers get less than 6 hour of sleep compared to 27.1% of
average students. They are less likely to take notes, with 77% of average students
and 55.55% of high achievers taking notes. High achievers also preferred self-
study (100% vs. 76.3%). They took less breaks, at 66.66% as compared to
79.3% of general population. 0% of high achievers reported staying motivated
throughout the semester vs. 18.6% of general population. ”Inner satisfaction”
as motivational factor was reported as 33.33% and average student reported
it at 45.8%. They were also more likely to plan their day at 44.44% of them
vs. 33.9%. 22% of high achievers reported poor or non-existent social life as
compared to 12% of general population.
6
3.3 Findings Related to Hypothesis and Objective
Some habits had surprisingly opposite effects, like taking notes and short-breaks.
Motivation throughout the semester had same effect. Planning one’s day was
found to be effective when comparing average and high scoring students.
The effect of reporting that one is studying enough and doing as good as one
can was effective in case one’s future goal was listed as ”academia/research.”
4 Conclusion
7
References
[1] Ailaan, A. (2017) Who gets the good jobs? Alif Ailaan. Accessed September ,
22.
[2] Linnenbrink, E. A. and Pintrich, P. R. (2002) Motivation as an enabler for
academic success. School psychology review , 31, 313–327.
[7] Kusurkar, R., Ten Cate, T. J., Vos, C., Westers, P., and Croiset, G. (2013)
How motivation affects academic performance: a structural equation mod-
elling analysis. Advances in health sciences education, 18, 57–69.
A Appendix
A.1 Tables
8
Academic Background GPA
FSC 3.5
FSC 2.4
FSC 2.95
FSC 3.2
FSC 2.95
FSC 2.75
FSC 3.4
FSC 3.2
FSC 3.4
FSC 3.4
FSC 3.85
FSC 3.2
FSC 3.85
FSC 3.6
FSC 3.2
FSC 3.6
FSC 3.4
FSC 3.2
FSC 2.75
FSC 3.85
FSC 3.85
FSC 3.6
FSC 3.2
FSC 2.75
FSC 3.2
FSC 3.2
FSC 2.75
FSC 3.2
FSC 3.6
FSC 2.95
FSC 3.85
FSC 2.95
FSC 3.4
FSC 3.2
FSC 3.2
FSC 3.2
FSC 3.4
FSC 3.2
FSC 2.25
FSC 2.75
FSC 3.85
FSC 2.75
FSC 2.95
FSC 3.85
Average 3.2443181818
10
Goal Prepare well for exams? Doing your best? GPA
Startup No No 2.65
Startup Yes No 3.2
Startup No No 3.2
Startup No No 2.4
Startup No No 3.2
Startup No No 3.2
Startup Yes No 3.2
Startup Yes No 3.4
Startup No No 3.2
Startup No No 3.2
Startup Yes No 3.85
Startup No No 3.2
Startup No No 3.4
Startup No No 3.2
Startup Yes No 2.25
Startup No No 3.85
Startup Yes Yes 3.4
Startup Yes Yes 2.95
Average 3.1638888889
11
Prepare well for exams?
Startup No No 2.65
Startup No No 3.2
Startup No No 2.4
Startup No No 3.2
Startup No No 3.2
Startup No No 3.2
Startup No No 3.2
Startup No No 3.2
Startup No No 3.4
Startup No No 3.2
Startup No No 3.85
Average 3.1545454545
12
Goal Prepere well for exam? Doing your best? GPA
Academia No No 3.2
Academia Yes No 3.4
Academia No No 3.85
Academia No No 3.85
Academia No No 3.2
Academia No No 3.85
Academia No No 2.65
Academia No No 3.2
Academia Yes No 3.85
Academia Yes Yes 3.85
Academia Yes Yes 3.85
Academia Yes Yes 3.2
Average 3.4958333333
13
Doing your best?
Academia No No 3.2
Academia Yes No 3.4
Academia No No 3.85
Academia No No 3.85
Academia No No 3.2
Academia No No 3.85
Academia No No 2.65
Academia No No 3.2
Academia Yes No 3.85
Average 3.45
14
Goal Prepere well for exam? Doing your best? GPA
Job No No 3.4
Job No No 3.85
Job Yes No 2.95
Job Yes No 3.2
Job No No 2.65
Job No No 3.2
Job No No 3.2
Job No No 2.95
Job No No 2.95
Job No No 3.4
Job No No 2.95
Job No No 2.95
Job No No 2.95
Job No No 2.65
Job Yes No 3.2
Job No No 3.2
Job No No 3.2
Job No No 2.65
Job Yes No 3.2
Job No No 2.65
Job Yes Yes 3.2
Job No Yes 3.4
Job 3.75
Average 3.1173913043
15