EXPLAINING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF FIRST–YEAR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN ECONOMICS
Abdulhakeem A. Kilishi*
Department of Economics, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
*Correspondence Author’s E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Abstract
This paper examines the impact of five different set of academic performance predictors on first-year undergraduate students of Economics. The academic performance predictors are grouped into pre-university school characteristics, prior academic achievement, entrance requirements, university and social factors. Stepwise regression technique is employed in the analysis. The results show that performances in O’level Economics, University and Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) consistently have significant positive influence on students’ academic performance. Attendance of tutorial in the university has important influence on students’ performance. It is evident that male academic performance is on the average, lower than female performance. However, there is weak evidence that time students spent on social media negatively affects their academic performance. This paper therefore, recommends that admission authority should put more emphasis on O’level grade in Economics and UTME score when considering candidates to study economics; and that tutorial should be well organized by the Department rather than arbitrarily as being organized currently.
Keywords: First-year undergraduate, Academic Performance, Pre-university academic factors, Entrance requirement, university factors
EXPLAINING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF FIRST–YEAR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS...