Student-related factors and academic performance in private institutions of higher learning in Uganda. A case study of Uganda Christian University (Main Campus) and International Health Sciences University (IHSU)

Abstract

This study was designed to establish whether there was a relationship between the undergraduate students related factors and academic performance in selected private universities. The researchers motivation for this study was the various students related factors that were associated to academic performance by scholars like Tinto (1975). Uganda Christian University (UCU) was selected to represent private higher Institutions of learning that had been long in existence while International Health Sciences University (IHSU) was selected to represent private higher Institutions of Learning that had not been long in existence. The study used crossectional survey design which was descriptive in nature where purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to draw a sample size of 435 respondents from the accessible population of 2338 in the two respective universities. The study collected both quantitative and qualitative data using questionnaires, interviews, and documentary reviews. Descriptive statistics described the sample characteristics while correlation analysis determined the relationship between student related factors and academic performance. Correlations and cross tabulations were all run and data processed using descriptive tables. Univeriate analysis was limited to usage of frequency tables while bi-variate analysis to descriptive statistics which were presented in form of contingency tables and correlations. The findings revealed the existence of a positive significant relationship between the students demographic, socio-economic, academic discipline variables and academic performance with the exception of age that was negatively related to academic performance and religion that did not have a relationship at all with students’ academic performance. It was recommended that a similar study be conducted utilizing a sample of government sponsored students in government higher institutions of learning to provide an opportunity for a deeper understanding of the relationship between students related factors and academic performance.