Determinants of good academic performance among university students in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Education plays a pivotal role in producing qualified human power that accelerates economic development and solves the real problems of a community. Students are also expected to spend much of their time on their education and need to graduate with good academic results. However, the trend of graduating students is not proportional to the trend of enrolled students and an increasing number of students commit readmission, suggesting that they did not perform well in their academics. Thus, the study aimed to identify the determinants of academic performance among university students in Southern Ethiopia. Method Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1 to 28, 2020. A total of 659 students were enrolled and data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. A multistage sampling technique was applied to select study participants. Data were cleaned and entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25 software for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable data analysis were computed and a p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Smoking, age, and field of study were significantly associated with academic performance. Result Four hundred six (66%) of students had a good academic performance. Students aged between 20 and 24 years (AOR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.22-0.91), and medical/ health faculty (AOR = 2.46, 95% CI = 1.45-4.20) were significant associates of good academic performance. Students who didn’t smoke cigarettes were three times more likely to score good academic grades compared to those who smoke (AOR = 3.15, 95% CI = 1.21-7.30). Conclusion In this study, increased odds of good academic performance were observed among students reported to be non-smokers, adults, and medical/health science students. Reduction or discontinuation of smoking is of high importance for good academic achievement among these target groups. The academic environment in the class may be improved if older students are invited to share their views and particularly their ways of reasoning.

Firstborns Versus Later-borns: Same Resources, Different Outcomes. An Extension of Resources Dilution Theory

“…One year older than the average age reduces academic efficiency by 2%. These results are consistent with (Hoang et al, 2019;Tadese et al, 2022) who found a significant effect of children's age on academic performance. Results also show that being a male student raises academic efficiency by 1%, consistent with Delprato and Antequera (2021).…”

Multimedia – Based Instruction in Distance Learning and Academic Performance

“…Pupils must dedicate a significant amount of their time to their studies in order to graduate with strong academic standing. Academically successful pupils are more likely to have better employment benefits, higher income, higher levels of self-confidence and self-esteem, lower levels of anxiety and depression, and lower rates of substance addiction (Tadese et al, 2022). Table 3 exhibits the test of the correlation between Pupils' Multimedia Based Instruction and Academic Performance.…”

The relationship between perceived teacher autonomy support, perceived competence in learning, and academic performance among nursing students

“…According to self‐determination theory, when students' autonomy is supported, they are more likely to be competent and have positive learning outcomes (Ryan & Deci, 2017). Students' perceived competence in learning has also always been linked to better educational outcomes (Ryan & Deci, 2017), such as the final grade point average (GPA), which indicates how well the student performed academically throughout a program (Tadese et al, 2022). Several factors might influence the level of students' perceived teacher autonomy support and perceived competence in learning, such as students' gender.…”