PhD Theses

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Browsing PhD Theses by Subject "College students"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Factors associated with career choice and predictors of career intention among undergraduate students in Tanzania
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2014) Amani, Jacqueline
    The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with career choice and predictors of career intention among undergraduate’s students in Tanzania. The intention behind this motive was that understanding the reasons which make people choose and ultimately join their careers is essential for maintaining the country`s stable work force through informed recruitment and retention strategies. The study had four objectives, namely, to: (a) identify factors influencing university students towards career choice, (b) determine university students` level of career knowledge, attitudes towards careers, subjective norms and career self—efficacy, (c), examine the extent to which student`s fields of study careers, subjective norms and self-efficacy predict their career intentions, (d) compare career intentions across students` field of study. The study used a mixed-methods research approach to study a random sample of 1043 among 11689 undergraduate students in four selected universities through the use of questionnaires and focus group interviews as data collection methods. The findings revealed that career choice factors were mainly extrinsic, intrinsic and altruistic. These include; personal and family factors, employment opportunities, lack of academic qualification, career guidance and information. The chi-square analysis indicated statistically significant differences in career choice factors in terms of students` fields of study, whereby extrinsic factors were more evident for student teachers that their fellow in law, engineering and business. Moreover, the study found that majority of students had high career knowledge, strong subjective norms, positive attitude towards their careers and high career knowledge, strong subjective norms, positive attitude towards their careers and high career self-efficacy. Results from MANOVA indicated statistically significant others influence their career decisions. The findings of the study further showed that the majority of the students had intentions to join their prospective careers upon graduation. Their intentions were attributed to positive careers upon graduation. However, the chi-square test results showed that the students taking business and engineering were more likely to join their prospective careers than students taking education and law. Furthermore, the results from multiple regression analysis revealed that attitude was that strongest predictor of career
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    Learning approaches and their relationship to undergraduate students’ academic performance at the University of Dar es Salaam
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2014) Kasumba, Flora Obadiah
    The purpose of this study was to investigate students learning approaches at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and their relationship to academic performance. It examines the context of teaching and learning and how these have determined students learning approach and whether academic performance can be associated with particular learning approaches. The objectives of the study were first, to examine learning approaches commonly used by students, secondly, to investigate lecturers’ views about the learning approaches used by their students and thirdly, to examine the relationship between learning approaches and students academic performance. The respondents were firstly, 1280 undergraduate students who were enrolled in different courses offered by the UDSE for the academic year 2010/2011 at the same time taking various courses from UDBS, CASS, CONAS, IDS, IKS. Secondly, were 39 lecturers from the same six teaching units. Data were collected using a modified Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ). The results on 15 out of the 20 SPQ items suggest that overall; UDSM students predominantly use deep learning approaches. Surface learning approaches featured highest on items related to assessment and examinations. Chi-square analysis based on students’ age; gender; type of school attended at ACSE show that learning approaches differ significantly in some items of the SPQ. For example, in terms of age, students above 24 years seem to have an elaborate study time; more males than females pay attention to details of assessment demands, learn more by rote, tend to question the things they hear in lectures and read in books and tend to look for suggested readings that go with lectures. In terms of type of school attended at ACSE, students from urban schools seem to use surface learning approaches more than those from rural schools; those from boys only schools use surface learning approaches more and pay more attention to assessment demands; those from girls’ only schools tend to use deep learning approaches and restrict their study to what is specifically set; those from boarding schools only use surface learning approaches and find the best way to pass examinations is to remember answers to likely questions. There was a significant difference in terms of programmes enrolled where those in BEd (Early Childhood Education) seem to relate new information with what they know more than those in the other programmes. There was no significant difference with regard to mode of entry to the University; and whether they attended public or private school. The correlation between GPA scores and learning approaches scores were significant in favour of females above 24 years of age, males of 18-24 years, public schools, boys’ only schools, and boarding schools and BEd (Early Childhood Education). The results were not significant in terms of location of school attended at ACSE (rural vs urban). From the above findings the study recommends that teaching and learning at UDSM to revisit the area of assessment and examination where students seem to depend highly on surface learning approaches. There is a dire need for comparative research in students learning approaches between UDSM and other Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania
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    Management of student conflicts in the context of the higher education cost-sharing policy in Tanzania
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2014) Shao, Enortha Ndesario
    Tanzania re-introduced the cost-sharing policy in higher education in the early 1990s. This period was characterized by the recurrence of student conflicts that started at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and spread to other public universities, which made the university community and the public at unease. This situation inspired the researcher to find out what actually happened at the institutions serving students that caused such disharmony relationships, while implementing complementary roles and responsibilities.Few studies have been conducted to examine the characterisation of these conflicts. Using a case study design, this study has systematically examined the pattern and causes of student conflicts during the re-introduction of the cost-sharing era, and how these conflicts were managed. Similarly, it proposed strategies for improving conflict management in future using the developed model. The findings showed that the conflicts involved students versus university management on the one hand, and students and Government and/or its agencies on the other. The study has revealed several factors that led to student conflicts, which have been grouped into seven categories, namely; ideological as students were dissatisfaction of the cost-sharing policy, welfare issues, ineffective governance, students’ politics and political interference in the running of the university affairs. Others were incompatible goals and students’ consciousness. The major finding of this study is that the main factor attributable to student conflicts in Tanzania during the cost-sharing phase is the ineffective coordination of parties involved in the management of student admission and loans disbursement processes. This started with the weaknesses observed from policy formulation into implementation. Consequently, the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) and universities would admit students without regard to the capacity of the students’ loans board to advance loans to admitted students, while every admitted student expects to receive a loan from the Government. Furthermore, the findings revealed that though many parties were involved in student conflicts, only the UDSM management and students sought to resolve them. As a result, the conflict resolution process has involved ad-hoc means, including the use of force, which only results in a temporary resolution of conflicts instead of managing them, hence the recurrence of student conflicts during the period of study. Essentially, therefore, the student conflicts at the UDSM, as perhaps in other higher education institutions in Tanzania, are centred on the ineffectiveness of the management of the policy including student loans system.In light of the findings of this study it is recommended, among others, that there is a need to revisit higher education funding in Tanzania with a view to securing reliable and broaden sources of financing. Furthermore, there is a need to establish a policy on the management of student conflicts in higher education. There is also a need to conduct further research to examine the cost of ineffective conflict management, which often leads to university closure. As a contribution of knowledge, this study captured qualitatively students’ experience of how implementation of the policy has created division and discontent. The study has developed a home-grown proactive model on effective management of student conflicts involving all key stakeholders (students, faculty, management, government and its agencies – HESLB and TCU).
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    The predictive validity of the communication skills examination on students’ overall academic performance at the Sokoine University of Agriculture
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2012) Komba, Sotco
    The study investigated the Predictive Validity of the University Communication Skills (CS) Examination on the Students’ Overall Academic Performance at the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA). The objectives of the study were: firstly, to determine the extent to which the CS examination predicts the overall performance expressed in terms of the University GPAs; secondly, to identify whether the predictive validity varies by sex, type of school, and type of degree programme; thirdly, to examine whether the CS examination is a better predictor for the university GPAs than students’ entry qualifications; and fourth, to compare the students’ overall academic performance with their abilities in the English written Skills test. The respondents were 358 finalists from six programmes selected randomly out of the 20 degree programmes at the SUA. The findings indicated that the University CS examination positively predicted the overall students’ performance expressed in terms of GPAs. The significant relationship was found to be r=0.416, p< 0.01. Furthermore, the predictive validity of the CS examination scores on the University GPAs varied by sex and was higher for males (r=0.483, p<0.01) than females (r=0.272, p<0.01). Moreover, the CS examination scores predicted the University GPAs better than the students’ university entry points. However, the type of school attended at both CSEE and ACSEE levels and type of degree programme enrolled at SUA had insignificant influence on the predictive validity of the CS examination. It was also revealed that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between the students’ abilities in the English Writing Skills Test (EWST) and their University GPAs (r=314, p< 0.01). Content analysis of the EWST showed that the students had serious problems in spelling, using appropriate forms of adjectives, punctuation marks, simple present tense, recognizing passive voice and using relative pronouns and prepositions. From the above findings, firstly, there is need for the Sokoine University of Agriculture to review its course assessment procedures for students taking different courses at the university. Secondly, the Sokoine University of Agriculture should carry out a study to review objectives, materials, and methodologies for the teaching and learning of the Communication Skills course. Lastly, a similar study to involve more than one university should be conducted in order to compare the effectiveness of the University Communication Skills examination.