Socio-economic determinants of academic performance of mature students in Ghana: a case study of University of Ghana entrance examinations

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to investigate different socio-economic factors influencing the academic performance of ‘mature applicants’ in examinations for access into universities. Using University of Ghana as a case study, we collected bio and socio-economic characteristics data of 731 applicants after eight weeks of intensive access course in all the eleven University of Ghana Learning Centres across the country. Applying multivariate linear regressions data analyses technique and using applicants’ performance in English, Mathematics and Logic as dependent variables, the study reports interesting findings. The findings indicate that applicants’ prior educational level and sex are significant determinants of academic performance in all three courses. Relative to their male counterparts, the female applicants are found to perform significantly low with similar magnitude for all four performance indicators. Marital status is only found to significantly influence students’ performance in English, with married students’ overall performing significantly lower than their unmarried counterparts. The results also revealed that the longer the applicant has stayed out of school, the lower his or her performance in all three subjects. Applicants’ motivation was also found to significantly predict academic performance in the access examinations. Students whose motivation was aligned to their work, that is for the purpose of obtaining promotion, securing a job, and/or change job, perform less than their counterparts who aimed at achieving personal interest or acquiring new knowledge. The findings have an important practical implication for designing an appropriate mature applicant access programme that suits applicants with diverse socio-economic backgrounds and which ensures better academic performance.