DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR UNDERACHIEVEMENT AMONG UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING STUDENTS IN SOUTH-SOUTH FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

The study investigated the demographic factors responsible for Underachievement among Undergraduate Engineering students in South-South Federal Universities”. Four research questions and corresponding null hypotheses guided this study. Ex-post facto research design was used. A population size of 1,155 students from year2 to 4 was used and a sample size of 630 was drawn. Three instruments were used, they are; the Demographic Inventory (DI), General Engineering Mathematics Underachievement Test (GEMUT) and Standard Progressive Matrix (SPM). The reliability of these instruments was tested on 20 respondents using Cronbach alpha method of internal consistency. The reliability indexes are 0.60, and 0.55 respectively for General Engineering Mathematics Underachievement Test (GEMUT) and Standard Progressive Matrix (SPM). Research question 1 was answered with simple percentage, while research questions 2 & 3 were answered with One-way ANOVA. The corresponding null hypothesis 1 was tested with Z-test and one-way ANOVA associated with regressions to test hypotheses 2 & 3. Hypothesis 4 was tested with simple linear regressions. Findings show that federal institutions of study significantly influence underachievement, while gender and department of study do not relate to underachievement in South-South Federal Universities. Also, there was a significant relationship among the CGPA and general engineering mathematic test among engineering students. The researcher recommends that course advisers, counsellors and lecturer should identify these underachievers early and appropriate counselling measures given; also, the Federal Government has to provide and supervise Federal Institutions.