Academic Success Factors: Implications for Teaching, Learning and Academic Administration

Rath

Industrial Psychiatry Journal

2021

Background: Performance of students at university level may be influenced by various factors. Aim: In a sample of business administration students, we explored personality, mental health, and life style factors associated with high and low achievers based on their examination grades (Grade A and higher vs. Grade B and lower). Methods: We studied personality factors using big five inventory (BFI)-10, anxiety through generalized anxiety disorder-7 screening scale, and depression by patient health questionnaire-9 scale. In open-ended questionnaires, stress, relationship, and drug uses were enquired about. Results: Considerable proportions of students had anxiety (33%) and depression (41%) at moderate-to-severe level; however, they were not different in the two groups. Higher examination grades were associated significantly with higher scores on conscientiousness factor of BFI-10 and female gender. There was no difference in self-reported stress or substance use between the two groups. Conclusions: While conscientiousness was associated with better performance, mental health factors were comparable between higher and lower grades in examination. The results highlight the need for further research on personality and modifiable factors such as stress, anxiety, and depression and to evaluate effectiveness of interventional approaches on academic performance.

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Personality and mental health factors associated with performance at university level

Rath

Industrial Psychiatry Journal

2021

Problems and Perspectives in Management

Job motivation and management implications: a case of teachers in Nigeria

Iwu

Ezeuduji

Iwu³

et al. 2017

This research sought to ascertain those job characteristics that influence teacher motivation, which may result in improved pass rates for learners in Ibadan South-West Local Government, Nigeria. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate statistical analytic methods were employed to determine the relationships between job characteristics and obstacles to teaching and learning, on the one hand; and respondents' profile, on the other. For the purpose of the research, 456 teachers were surveyed with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Relatively young teachers were surveyed (87%), with females dominating the sample. The results suggest that while salary, career opportunities and duties and responsibilities respectively take central stage in motivating the participants, other job characteristics variables (such as supervision/leadership) do not exert the same effect. Furthermore, the results also show that the lack of resources related to learning and research, and the lack of recognition/reward are deemed as the dominant obstacles in meeting teaching and learning goals, while non-transparent culture is viewed as an insignificant obstacle. A major implication of the findings is that to achieve a sustainable improvement in student performance, a systematic improvement in teachers' job related factors would be needed.

Socioeconomic Implications of Examination Fraud and Assessment Irregularities in South Africa’s Higher Education Sector: A Futuristic View

Iwu

2020

JSDS

This paper, based on scholarly as well as documentary evidence, intends to highlight thesocioeconomic implications of fraud and assessment irregularities in South Africa’s higher education. Highereducation institutions serve nation building purposes and as such it is expected that what they produceshould be of high standard in order to further this purpose. Lately, owing to the rise in assessmentmalpractices across South African institutions of higher learning, calls have been made by business andsociety for ways to deal with this. This paper asks a few questions related to what constitutes fraud andassessment irregularities and the sources of these. The paper also points out what these portend for highereducation in South Africa while at the same suggesting some recommendations. This paper contributes to theliterature on the growing concerns of educators and researchers regarding high levels of examinationmalpractice and assessment irregularities within higher education sector globally, but in particular SouthAfrica.