Determinants of Academic Quality Disparity Among Construction Post-Graduate Students in Ghana.

Abstract

In this global era and insurgency of technology, education is seen as a first pace for every human activity. However, there seem to exist various determinants which results in difference in academic performance among students. This study was designed to examine the attribution factors affecting academic performance of construction post-graduate students of KNUST-Kumasi. Based on extensive literature review the attribution factors could be grouped into five main components. Presented are results from statistical analyses of 49 questionnaire survey responses from construction post graduate students of KNUST-Kumasi. The results validated all the 15 attribution factors of academic performance used for the survey. Personal study periods, the role played by lecturers and financial status are identified as the most attributed factor affecting academic performance of tertiary students. To analyse the data, non-parametric statistical testing using descriptive statistics, mean score index and Relative Importance Index (RII) were used through appropriate statistical package. The findings of this paper could help policy makers especially those in the Quality Assurance unit, the Central Academic office and the Ministry of Education on what policies and strategies can be employed to improve academic performance in institutions of higher learning as well as students, parents and teachers to guide them properly and as per their abilities. For further studies, it is recommended that more predictive variables be added so as to ascertain more significant predictors of academic performance of tertiary students.