Relationship between Self-Esteem, Academic Procrastination and Test Anxiety with Academic Achievement of Post Graduate Diploma In Education (PGDE) Students in Delta State University, Abraka.

In order execute this study, three research questions were raised and three null hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance. Correlational-descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The entire population of 43 PGDE students were studied without sampling. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Abu-Ghazal’s Academic ProcrastinationQuestionnaire and Suinn’sTest Anxiety Questionnaire with reliability coefficients of .92, .83 and .86 were used as instruments for the study.Achievement scores obtained in Educational Statistics and Introduction to Special Educationwith permission of the Head of the Department, Educational Foundations, Delta State University, Abraka,were collected and used to determine the academic achievement of PGDE students.Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient were used for data analysis. Findings of the study revealed a positive and significant relationshipbetween self-esteem and academic achievement among PGDE students. The study discovered a negative and significant relationship between academic procrastination and academic achievement. Also, the study disclosed a negative and significant relationship between test anxiety and academic achievement. The study concluded that, PGDE students must design time management strategies in order to create a balance between their professional life and postgraduate studies in order to attain optimal academic performance. It was recommended among others that management of universitiesrunning post-graduate programmes should implement flexible assessment and evaluation techniques in measuring the academic success of PGDE students in order to reduce the negative effects of test anxiety and academic procrastination on their academic engagements

The impact of academic variables on the study experience of second year Hospitality Management students at selected South African Higher Education Institutions

Published ArticleStudents from all backgrounds are facing challenges when they enter the higher education system. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the academic variables that impact on the overall study experience of second year Hospitality Management students at selected higher education institutions in South Africa. In order to identify the academic variables that could influence on the study experience of students, 228 participants from five selected universities completed a questionnaire. To determine the variables that impacted on the study experience, cross tabulations between categorical variables were tested for significance using Chi-square tests at the 5% level of significance. Results revealed statistically significant academic relationships for adapting to the academic workload (<0.01), coping with the academic demands of the learning programme (<0.0001), knowledge about the Hospitality Management learning programme prior to enrolment (<0.004), academic performance of the students (<0.005) and studying at their preferred institution (<0.01). Universities therefore have to assist students as far as possible to ensure that they graduate successfully and not terminate their well-intended studies

Developing a Culture of Publication: a joint enterprise writing retreat

Purpose: Many students irrespective of level of study produce excellent course work which, if given support and encouragement could clearly be of a publishable standard. Academic staff are expected to produce quality publications meeting peer review standards although they may be relatively novice authors. All are engaged in some aspects of academic writing practices but not as frequently involved in co-production of publications emanating from student work. This activity is still at the margins of much of the student experience. Design/methodology: Mindful of these issues, we designed and offered a writing programme including a writing retreat. This brought together undergraduate and postgraduate students from a range of applied disciplines (health and art, design and architecture) and their supervisors with the aim of co-producing publications and participating in a community of scholarly practice. The project was delivered over nine months. It involved four days ‘compulsory’ attendance and included a preparatory workshop, a two day off campus writing retreat and a dissemination event. Student and supervisors applied to participate as a team. Kirkpatrick’s (2006) four-stage classic model: reaction, learning, changes in behaviour and real world results was used as a framework for the educational evaluation. Key findings organised thematically were: Supervisor-supervisee relationships; space and time; building confidence enabling successful writing and publication. Originality/Value: This paper will provide an overview of the design, content and approaches used for successful delivery of this innovative project. It will draw on examples that illustrate the different types of joint enterprise that emerged, illuminate experiences of co-production and co-authorship along with recommendations for future ventures

University of the Witwatersrand residence students' perspectives on factors that promote or hinder academic success

Academic attrition remains a phenomenon that riddles educational institutions world-wide. This study sought to explore perceptions of residential students on the matter; to engage them in ascertaining how they have managed to pursue their studies as well as perhaps find out what challenges the students faced which that could lead to attrition. Correlational and phenomenological research designs were used. The correlational research design was used in determining the relationship between variables measured through the study instruments. The phenomenological research design was used to explore students’ views on how they had experienced academic success thus far. This study was conducted with residential students from the University of the Witwatersrand. A total of sixty-six participants participated in this study and their ages ranged from nineteen to thirty-eight years

Employability of the Central University of Technology Free State graduates : a case study

Published ArticleThe problem statement to be proposed in this article is that student employability suffers as a result of the fact that students do not make use of the available employment skills training, offered by the CUT, which will enable them to present themselves in a professional manner to prospective employers when entering the labour market. Certain suggestions will be offered in this publication of how the CUT could go about creating opportunities for students to enable them to successfully enter the labour market, after the completion of their studies