Exploring Undergraduate Students’ Views on Factors Influencing Academic Performance in Construction Related Disciplines in Bells University of Technology, Ota, Nigeria

Abstract

Aims: There is usually dissimilarity in achievement as a result of several factors that influence the academic performance of students in universities. Therefore, this study aims to explore and investigate problem factors affecting the academic performance of undergraduate students in construction related disciplines in Bells University of Technology Ota, with a view to providing understanding on the major problem factors affecting their academic performance. Study Design:  Survey research design. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Building Technology, Bells University of Technology Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, between May 2019 and January 2020. Methodology: The research employed a survey method with questionnaires distributed to undergraduate students in construction related disciplines in Bells University of Technology Ota. Data collected were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, rank and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance test. Results: Out of 172 questionnaires administered, 105 were sufficiently filled and returned, representing 61% of response rate. The results show that maturity, study strategies, interest in course, fear and stress and training and teaching style are the top five factors affecting academic performance of undergraduate students in construction related disciplines in Bells University of Technology Ota, Nigeria. Secondly, using SPSS (23), Kendall’s (Wa) value was found to be 0.036 at 0.000 significance level, therefore the study concluded that, there is statistically significant degree of agreement between different departments of the participants concerning their responses to factors that affect academic performance in construction related disciplines in Bells University of Technology, Ota, Nigeria. Conclusion: The study recommends that skipping of classes by students during early education should be discouraged so as to allow students attain maturity level for higher education. Secondly, universities should organize fear and stress management seminars and workshops for undergraduate students in addition to guidance and counseling sessions with a view to addressing psychological issues that may hinder their academic performance.