Factors affecting academic performance of students in macroeconomics: a case study of School of Statistics and Planning Makerere University

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the factors affecting the students’ academic performance in macroeconomics. Emphasis was put on trying to establish the relationship between student factors, instructional factors and psychological factors and students’ academic performance in macroeconomics using school of statistics and planning as a case study. The study employed the use of correlation design to establish the nature of the relationships. The validity and reliability of research instruments was established and data was collected from 400 respondents selected from all the courses that offer the course unit at school of statistics and planning using the simple random sampling method. To analyze the data, the Pearson chis-square test statistical tool was and Binary logistic regression were used with the aim of establishing the relationship between the student factors, instructional factors and psychological factors both at bivariate and multivariate level respectively. This formed the basis of the detailed analysis, conclusions and recommendations. The findings revealed the existence of a significant relationship between students’ Ability and their academic performance in macroeconomics, but there was no relationship between their age and motivation on the performance in the course unit at multivariate level. The findings also revealed that there was no relationship between the quality of instructions and quantity of instructions on students’ academic performance in the course unit, the same applied to the exposure to media, peer influence, home and school atmosphere. On the basis of the findings, the researcher made the following conclusions; students’ ability as per prior performance is the most objective way to justify the factors affecting the students’ academic performance in macroeconomics. Students’ satisfaction with the course of study is also important because it motivates students to learn and achieve in the course unit. On the basis of the conclusions made, the researcher recommended that; Universities should maintain their selection criteria of using previous performance at A’ level as a measure of admitting students for undergraduate programs though there is need to priorities those that performed well and slightly reduce on the number of students with a poor performance at entry level if its aiming at academically competing with other institutions especially at the international level. The university should improve the student support system so as to positively influence on the health of the students learning environment by working and polishing on the teaching abilities, attributes, and effective teaching styles of their academic staff and instructors which can eventually stimulate the student’s enthusiasm for learning,. This study identified the need to investigate and analyze the amount of time students spend on their personal study activities, peer support and motivational level recipe for success in higher education with the intention of developing some of these aspects for inclusion in all students.