Key Factors Influencing Graduation on Time Among Postgraduate Students: A PLS-SEM Approach

Abstract

The information age witnessed the democratisation of education with an exponential growth in the enrolment of postgraduate students in almost all universities around the world. However, high attrition and low completion rates among students have been an immense threat to the key performance of the university system. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of institutional support, supervisory practices, and students’ self-management and research skills on postgraduate students’ motivation to graduate on time (GOT). The data were collected from 191 postgraduate students from three universities in Malaysia using a survey questionnaire. The quantitative data were analysed using the PLS-SEM approach. The results revealed that research skills, institutional support and self-management skills significantly influenced the postgraduate students’ motivation to GOT. Furthermore, research skills were identified as the strongest predictor of the motivation to GOT. Additionally, research skills mediated the relationships between institutional support, students’ self-management skills and postgraduate students’ motivation to GOT. However, supervisory practices toward GOT were not supported either by direct or indirect effect. The study has far reaching implications for the postgraduate students, supervisors, and institutions of higher learning.
 

A content analysis of tweets on toxic doctoral supervision

“…They may lack sufficient research knowledge and abilities to facilitate supervision. There may also be a mismatch between the student and his supervisor (Priyadarshini et al, 2022;Muraraneza et al, 2020).…”

“…As further noted by Priyadarshini et al (2022), supervisors are often overburdened by academic, administrative, and organisational responsibilities, leaving little time for effective engagement during supervision meetings. Supervisors' lack of time, absence from the institution, poor supervisory techniques, and a high supervisor-student ratio may impact student and supervisor productivity.…”

Students’ Life Concerns and Graduate School Journey

“…Personal-related concerns. As acknowledged by numerous studies, the complex web of factors affecting degree completion are attributed to several factors such as students' demographics (Rungduin and Miranda, 2020; Yusuf and Aina, 2018), situational factors, and institutional factors (Muthukrishnan et al, 2022;Yasmin et al, 2018). While studies on this area were conducted to examine various factors ranging from personal, academic, and financial, however, there has been no standard finding which seems to influence completion ahead of the others (Gardner, 2008).…”

“…With these benefits, it is unsurprising that colleges and universities worldwide are actively promoting their graduate programs resulting in an upsurge in graduate students' enrollment. While this upsurge holds promising possibilities, it cannot be denied however, that for these many graduate program enrollees, completing the graduate program on time, in most cases becomes a far-fetched dream rather than a reality (Muthukrishnan, et al, 2022).…”

Sustaining Students’ Quality Learning Environment by Reviewing Factors to Graduate-on-Time: A case study

“…The current attrition rate largely affects Malaysia's aspiration to become a hub of educational excellence in South-East Asia. Studies (Muthukrishnan et al, 2022;Teoh et al, 2019) have revealed that there are several complex factors affecting students' failure to GOT, which include not only personal and institutional but also psychological and environmental factors. Since sustaining the quality of student life in any learning environment is the priority of all educators, the main objective of this study is to build upon current literature to identify significant factors affecting postgraduate students' ability to GOT.…”