Explaining academic performance of first–year undergraduate students in Economics

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of five different set of academic performance predictors on first-year undergraduate students of Economics. The academic performance predictors are grouped into preuniversity school characteristics, prior academic achievement, entrance requirements, university and social factors. Stepwise regression technique is employed in the analysis. The results show that performances in O’level Economics, University and Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) consistently have significant positive influence on students’ academic performance. Attendance of tutorial in the university has important influence on students’ performance. It is evident that male academic performance is on the average, lower than female performance. However, there is weak evidence that time students spent on social media negatively affects their academic performance. This paper therefore, recommends that admission authority should put more emphasis on O’level grade in Economics and UTME score when considering candidates to study economics; and that tutorial should be well organized by the Department rather than arbitrarily as being organized currently.