College students’ problems and their link to academic performance: Basis for needs-driven student programs

Abstract

Students are facing various challenges in life that may have adverse effects to their academic performance yet some school programs are not student needs-driven. This descriptive research study discusses the problems experienced by the 350 students of a higher education institution in the Philippines with the hope to craft activities that are responsive to their needs and academic achievement. The data were collected through questionnaire and registration methods. Descriptive analysis shows that around 9 percent to 23 percent of the students experience problems in academic, social, family, emotional, personal, financial and spiritual aspects whose degree ranges from moderate extent to very great extent. The problems reflect teachers' lapses in classroom management and pedagogy, and lack of activities that support students' holistic development and effective learning habits. Linear regression analysis confirms that their problems explain significantly a variance that ranges from 19 percent to 36 percent in their academic performance. Hence, this research offers implications that can help address the adversaries of high academic achievement. enhance and develop the students holistically. However, the recipients of some of these programs like the sociocultural, publications, and sports, are selected mostly among privileged students who can meet a certain criteria and/or quota. Thereby, not all the students are able to join the programs. Most especially, some of the offered programs may not directly address the needs and problems of certain students, and hence, may not effectively facilitate them for a better academic performance as they are crafted without any student needs research analysis. To address the students' issues, programs must be formulated based on the current needs of the students which are reflected by their common problems. The campus OSAS should deliver these kinds of programs to address the students' needs that contend their academic breakthroughs.The current study conducted a needs-assessment among the students to identify the challenges (problems) they are faced with, and to facilitate the formulation of future student service goals or programs. The study gauges the impact of their problems on their academic performance to offer a needs-driven student programs. This study is premised on the fact that students' academic performance may not only be predicted by their cognitive ability (Petrides, Chamorro-Premuzic, Frederickson and Furnham, 2005) but also their problems in various aspects including academics The said problems are herein operationally defined. Academic problems are the concerns of the students on their interest and motivation to study, learning skills and environment, as well as, their teachers' teaching strategies and teacher-student interactions. Family problems refer to contemporary conflicts, disruptions and/or crises within the family of the students, and between the student and family members. Financial problems refer to students' socio-economic status that reflects incapabilit...

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