Challenges of Writing Dissertations: Perceptual Differences between Students and Supervisors in a Ghanaian Polytechnic

Abstract

This study explored the perceptions of students and supervisors on the interplay of institutional-studentsupervisor related factors that militate against the writing and completion of quality dissertations in Ghanaian Polytechnics. Based on 491 usable self-questionnaires retrieved from final year students and supervisors, descriptive results indicate both students and supervisors unanimously agreed that students experience considerable challenge accessing scholarly journals, textbooks, internet and literature, inadequate funding and irregular and delayed feedback from supervisors when writing their dissertations. Furthermore, the Mann-Whitney U-test results revealed that both students and supervisors exhibited selfserving attribution bias in their perception of the challenges of writing and completing dissertation concerning student and supervisor related factors. Improvement in students' access to scholarly literature and supervisors being more accessible and providing quick feedback to students are recommended.The paper adds to existing literature by examining the differences in opinion between students and supervisors regarding challenges in dissertation writing among undergraduate students by applying the self-serving bias and better-than-average models.

Supporting Doctoral Candidates through Completion and Final Examination

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Modelling achievment in mathematics: The predictive role of affective variables among students

“…It is, therefore, the type of attribution that determines their academic motivation, emotional state that will inversely influence their achievement. Gbettor et al (2015) carried out a study on stress and academic achievement: Empirical Evidence of Business Students in a Ghanaian Polytechnic. A cross sectional research design was adopted in conducting the study.…”

A Differential Effect of Research Teaching Innovation on Dissertation Completion Rate and Pass Mark at TGSL

“…Other researchers discover that language barrier and unpreparedness for post-graduate research is a contributing factor that hamper dissertation completion rate (Adamson, Coulson, and Fujimoto-Adamson, 2019;Zewotir, North and Murray (2015). There is also a belief from other quarters of research that graduate students' access to lectures and supervisors is a factor that may improve or mar research completion rate (Kangai & Mapolisa, 2012;Azila-Gbettor, Mensah & Kwodjo, 2015). In recognition of the graduate research writing on graduate study completion, researchers have called for improved solution such as teaching solution to provide improvement in research completion rate (Massyn, 2018;North & Murray, 2015).…”