The influence of sociological and psychological factors on academic performance of University students

Osarenren Osaghae RI (Mrs)

Department of Educational Foundations and Management Faculty of Education Ambrose Alli University, P.M.B. 14 Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria

E-mail: iyalekhuosa@yahoo.com;

Tel: 08038725686; 08056165219

Accepted 23 November, 2012

Abstract

The title of the study was “the influence of sociological and psychological factors on academic performance of university students. Independent variables such as family socio-economic status, ability, perceived lecturer influence and perceive peer influence were examined in order to determine their influence on academic performance of university students. To guide the research, four hypotheses were formulated, the population of this study comprised of the 2003/2004 university students in year one. A longitudinal design was employed for the study. The university students were stratified in two dimensions, (1) Types of university e.g. public, private, (2) By quality e.g. good, average and poor. All the year one students formed the sample. An attitude test was administered on the students; a questionnaire consisting of sixty items was given to each subject. This was first pre-tested. An achievement scale test was also administered at the same time. During examination period, a test anxiety scale and academic performance was given to each of them, the latter consisted of 56 objective items and a reliability coefficient of 0.95 was obtained through a test-re-test method. The findings were that the dependent variables listed above were significantly related to the dependant variables (academic performance) based on these findings recommendations were proffered.

Keywords: sociological, psychological factors and academic performance